Bushy Tails and Mixed Up Spells
by Aponi Aquene
Summary: Emma Swan accidentally turns Regina Mills into a cat. Can the Fluffy Queen survive life with the Charmings until the temporary curse wears off? Swan Queen
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, so I know I have a few stories open and I can tell you that a few of them will be updated very soon. But I digress, once upon a time I got a prompt for another story to write Emma and Regina as animals, ever since I had a thing for writing them as animals.**

 **In this one, Emma accidentally turns Regina into a beautiful, fluffy cat. The spell causes Regina to not only look like a cat but to also think and to her chagrin, occasionally behave like one.**

 **This story (which I plan to be short but that could change) is basically about her and Emma's adventures in this situation. I'd say it takes place a while after the queens of darkness but no Dark Swan.**

 **I hate the title. It's temporary until I can think of something better.**

 **This was just meant for fun and laughs. I own nothing and all mistakes are mine. Enjoy. :)**

Chapter 1

"Shit. I'm sorry, Regina." Emma said as she looked down at the mayor. Big brown eyes stared up at her. Emma took inventory of the situation. Her friend and son's mother was now a small fluffy feline. She took in her silky, black coat for a moment before snapping out of it. "I really fucked up. I'm so sorry."

They were having one of their daily magic lessons and Emma misread a shape shifting spell and turned her teacher into a cat. Now Emma had no idea how to fix it because the one person who could tell her how to do it, well, was in no position to do so.

The cat simply blinked up at Emma. "You look really adorable though." Emma noted. The cat blinked again then leapt up into her lap. Emma felt strange having Regina in her lap, even in this form... She didn't exactly understand why though. They're friends now and friends touch each other.

The black furball, seemingly unaware of Emma's inner confusion, placed her small paw on the page of the book that Emma still had open. Emma looked down at the paw and the symbol it was obviously pointing to. "Oh, I know this one." Emma exclaimed. She thought on it for a moment then snapped her fingers. "Temporary?!" The cat nodded. She clapped her hands together, startling the cat. "Sorry," she muttered. "But that's great."

She stroked Regina's soft coat and the cat swatted at her hands. "Sorry." Emma muttered again. She placed the book down on the trunk she was perched on. "It's late. Let's get you home." She took the cat into her arms and stood up. "I feel terrible about this." She felt the cat shift in her arms, clearly trying to get comfortable.

Oddly, Emma wasn't uncomfortable. Holding this cat just felt... right. Normal even, given the odd situation. She decided not to question this line of thinking at the moment. She had more important things to deal with.

Instead she started heading for the exit of the vault. She scratched the cat's head as they stepped back into the mausoleum.

The cat simply placed a paw on Emma's hand in acknowledgement of her apology. Emma smiled down at the cat who's large brown eyes were staring up at her. "Thanks Gina." She said. The cat simply settled back into Emma's hold. "Well..." She said as they stepped out into night air.

Fortunately for them, summer was right around the corner so it was warm out. Regina's wide eyes caught the glimpse of a firefly and her gaze followed it. Her eyes reflected its light as it flew away.

Emma noted those eyes looked like the night sky and the light in them were like a lone star for a moment. She knew Regina's human eyes would be even beautiful in that moment.

She quickly shook that idea off and they continued on to Emma's bug quietly. Upon reaching it, Emma sat the cat in the front passenger's seat, pulling a seat belt around it, praying that it wasn't too tight. She caught the cat's eye. "Don't look at me like that." Emma said dryly. "You can't poof nor drive in your position, so you're going to have to ride in my 'garbage can on wheels'."

She shut the door and jogged around to the other side and slid in. "Also you have to stay with me until this clears up." The cat glared at her. "Stop looking at me like that. You can't possibly stay home alone." Regina visibly sighed. "I know. I suck."

The cat turned away, refusing to look at Emma. "Really?" The cat still didn't respond. "Fine." She huffed and started the car.

The drive was mostly silent. Emma contemplating what she was going to tell her family and Regina clearly ignoring her. Emma decided to tell them she found a cat wandering around alone and as sheriff she's going to keep her until they find her owners. That was much easier than telling them she turned Regina into a cat. Her parents already dislike her dabbling in magic as it is, that will just make it worse.

Emma pulled up to the building and parked the car. She turned to a still pouting furry Regina. "Expect you to be on your best behavior." The cat just blinked up at her. "God, you're adorable." The cat's ears laid back and her glare turned lethal. "Sorry." She raised her hands in surrender. "But you are."

She undid the seatbelt quickly and grabbed Regina then climbed out of the car. Slamming the door, they entered the building. They walked up the steps and Emma ended up scratching Regina's furry ears out of nervousness and this time the cat let her. It must have been stress relieving for both of them.

They stopped in front of the apartment door and Emma sighed. "Okay, here goes." She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Emma felt Regina stiffen in her arms as they crossed the threshold. At her entry, all activity in the loft ceased. Henry looked over at her from where he was playing his videogame. Snow stopped rocking her brother and David froze in washing the dishes.

"Emma." Snow breathed. She placed the now asleep Prince in the crib. "Where have you been?" She asked stepping closer to her oldest child.

"Um... lessons ran late." Emma said. Snow nodded, her eyes dropped to the ball of fur in her arms.

"Is that a cat?"

"Yep." Emma said with a nod. "I found it. Just wandering around outside. I figured it was late and I couldn't just leave it." She felt so weird talking about Regina like she was just another animal.

"Well that was the right thing to do." Snow agreed and looked at the cat. "It's beautiful. Someone must be missing it." She plucked the cat from her daughter's arms ignoring her protests. "Is it a girl or a boy?" She angled the cat in one arm and began to pull the tail up with the other hand. Emma's eyes widened when she saw the cat raising its paw to strike Snow. Emma quickly took her back and held her to her chest. "It's a girl."

"I thought we agreed that you were going to be good." Emma whispered to the cat. The cat just rolled her eyes.

"Emma, you can talk to animals?" Snow asked excitedly.

"Nope." Emma said shaking her head. She actually wished she could at that moment so she could communicate with Regina.

Snow nodded. "I'll teach you." She said thoughtfully. "Maybe that way we can find out where this beautiful girl came from."

"Oh I have a feeling we'll find out very soon." Emma muttered more to herself.

"What?" Snow asked and Emma shook her head.

"Cool cat." Henry said popping up behind Snow. He leaned in and scratched her cheek. The cat relaxed at Henry's touch and Emma smiled at that. Even in this form, Regina was a big softy for Henry.

"Right kid?" Emma said rubbing the cat's back, forgetting that it was Regina and how weird it was.

"Are we going to put up posters?" Henry asked and Emma grinned for a moment before nodding.

"Sure."

"And maybe we can ask around?" David suggested. "I'm sure someone's missing a beauty like that."

Emma nodded again. "Sure." She started heading for the stairs. "But as of now, I'm going to turn in kinda early. It's been a long day."

"We saved you some dinner." David offered but Emma sighed.

"I ate with Regina." She said halfway up the stairs. She didn't need anymore uncomfortable conversation about the cat. Besides she was actually exhausted.

"Okay well... good night." David said. "Get some rest."

Emma nodded with a small smile. "And Henry, turn in at a decent time. I know it's the weekend and all but that doesn't mean you can stay up all night."

"Okay." Henry grumbled.

Emma nodded then headed up the stairs as she called over her shoulder. "Good night, Guys."

"Night." She heard them call back, right before she closed her room door.

Once inside her room, she placed Regina gently onto the bed. The cat jumped down instantly then ran over to the door and scratched at it, she looked back at Emma when it didn't open. Emma watched on with her hands on her hips.

"You can't go out and see Henry right now, Regina. I'm sorry." Emma said softly. "My parents are asking too many questions."

Regina glared at Emma and her ears laid down again before slinking back towards the bed. She jumped back up and turned her back to Emma.

"I'm sorry." Emma said. The cat simply huffed, her back remained turned. "Fine. Be that way!" Emma said turning around and going about pulling out her pajamas. "We just have to ride this out without anyone finding out what happened."

The cat finally turned to Emma as she placed her things on the bed. Regina just nodded in understanding. "Okay good. You'll spend time with Henry. I promise."

She just looked at Emma blinking. Emma sighed and without warning, Emma pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, leaving herself in just a bra. Regina laid down on her stomach and hid her face in her little furry paw.

"Come on, Gina." Emma chuckled. "We're friends and you're a cat."

Regina peeked over her furry paw and saw that the blonde had pulled a new t-shirt on and was now shimmying into her shorts. She glared at Emma then huffed. "Sorry." Emma whispered again. The cat just looked at her.

"Do you need anything?" Emma asked. The cat looked up at her, confusion in her eyes. "Water? Food?" Emma groaned internally. She was starving. She had in fact ate with Regina but that was lunch and it was well after eight p.m. The cat just continued to stare and Emma huffed. Walking back over to her dresser, she continued. "I'm starving but I lied to my parents and I have to keep up that lie. So that means that I have to starve but it makes no sense for both of us to."

Regina just huffed and looked away. "I'll take that as a no." Emma looked through her top drawer until she pulled out a black hair tie. She began pulling her hair up into a ponytail. She turned back to Regina, the cat was laying flat on her tummy and her head rested on her front paws. The big bushy tail was swaying back and forth quickly.

Emma didn't know much about cats but she assumed the tail switching was a sign that the cat was upset. Given the turn of events Emma was still surprised that Regina hadn't jumped on her face and tried to tear her nose off. Honestly Regina was being oddly calm about it all, which made Emma feel even more guilty.

With a sigh, Emma walked over to the bed and sat down. The cat didn't even bother to acknowledge her.

So they both just sat there in silence, Emma tucked her legs underneath her and the cat's tail was still swaying back and forth. Emma hated herself for what she did. She honestly thought she read the spell right but ended up turning Regina into a cat. No matter how cute and fluffy she was, she knew that Regina was livid. That's why the savior was so shocked Regina hadn't lashed out yet.

"So temporary, huh?" Emma said looking over at the cat who just sat her head up to regard Emma. "Does that mean a few days? Weeks? Month?" The cat just gave her a look, only Regina could make her feel like a complete idiot while trapped in a cat's body. "What? I'm anxious. I already know you're calling me an idiot and it's weird because I can't hear you saying it."

The cat simply yawned in response and stretched. "I just.. I know I screwed up." Emma added softly. "And I know you're mad but I really like being your friend and I don't want to lose that."

Those words made the cat sit up again. This time she moved into a sitting position and regarded Emma for a few moments. Emma didn't know what to do so she just sat there returning the gaze. Then after what felt like a few hours which was only a matter of seconds, the cat reached her paw over and placed it on Emma's hand. Emma got the message loud and clear and she smiled.

"Good." Emma said. "Thank you." She scratched the cat's ears again and she was surprised when she didn't swat at Emma's hands or try to pull away. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." The cat nodded and Emma laughed. "Oh my god. This is so crazy. I'm talking to a cat who so happens to be my best friend. Man, this day couldn't get any weirder. What do you say we end it?"

The cat nodded again and Emma stood and walked to the head of the bed. She pulled back her covers then leaned over, fluffed an extra pillow and laid it down for Regina to sleep on. The cat hopped onto the pillow and started circling on it. Pulling at the material with her claws, trying to make it comfortable.

 _Cute_ , Emma thought but she wouldn't dare say it out loud. Instead she slid into the bed and pulled her covers up to her neck. She looked over at the cat who was asleep on the pillow. She shook her head. The cat was curled into a ball, her beautiful tail covering her face. Emma chuckled. Clapping her hands, the room was bathed in total darkness, not because she had a 'clap on' but because it was a magic trick Regina had taught her.

Henry can go to sleep wherever he wants. It's the freaking weekend but she hoped he'd use his common sense and not stay up all night.

Settling back onto the pillow, Emma finally relaxed. She hoped that this didn't last that long. She couldn't keep up the lie. Also what happens when they start asking for Regina? Maybe she can clear this up quicker. Maybe there's a quicker way to reverse the spell. Either way, Rgeina couldn't stay like this.

All in all Emma was pleased that she didn't lose Regina's friendship. That made it that much easier to deal with. At least she'll still have her best friend when Regina was back to normal.

Her beautiful, sassy and insanely sexy friend. Emma ran a hand over her face. _God, Swan, pull it together. She's sleeping right there and she's a fucking cat. At least keep those weird ass thoughts away until she's a human again._

She sighed heavily, _my best friend is a freaking cat. I've never had a cat. What the hell am I going to do with a cat?_ That was the last thought she had before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The sun was shinning in through the window, directly into her face. She blinked her eyes open and shut them again as she was met with the sight of a sleeping Emma Swan laying beside her. She sat up quickly and the room began spinning as she looked around. The entire room was in black and white and everything looked huge. Had she fallen into another realm? What was happening? She sat up taller and realized that she was still too small. Standing up in the bed, she went to tap Emma who was also much larger than her, she squealed when she got a sight of her hand... well paw rather. A small black paw rested on Emma's shoulder.

That's when all the memories came rushing back. The magic lessons. The magical spell mix up. The cloud of white smoke consuming her, it clearing and the cat... the cat that she was turned into. Sighing she jumped up onto Emma's chest and decided to wake her. Settling onto the savior's chest, she pondered a way to do exactly that.

Oddly enough her body started acting on its own accord. Her paws settled on Emma's chest and started pushing and pulling on the soft flesh. She started moving her back feet as well and her eyes began to droop at the soothing sensation. It felt so good and she felt so relaxed. Emma was hers and every cat all over town will know because...

 _Oh my god,_ Regina thought. _Am I kneading Emma?_

Her feet continued to move and she felt a soft rumble come up from her chest. _Oh for the love of... am I... purring? No, no, no, stop that._

But she couldn't, her paws continued on as well as the sound of a soft chainsaw. It was so delightful and Regina felt so peaceful. She wanted to just lay down right there and take a nap in the center of Emma's chest. Sharing her warmth and rest her furry cheek on Emma's...

 _What the hell am I doing? I am not a cat! I am a queen and why can't I stop? Oh no. Stop it! You moron!_ She screamed at herself as her purring grew louder.

 _Stupid!_ She cursed herself. _Focus on waking Emma._ She forced her eyes open and looked into the blonde's face. Her stupidly gorgeous sleeping face, Regina started to purr more deeply. _Stop it! Wake her up._ Still kneading Emma at a slower pace, she leaned in close to her face.

 _That's it,_ Regina thought. _Just wake her up and..._ "Meow!" Escaped her mouth in a high pitched kitten-like tone and Regina gasped internally. _God's, please tell me that wasn't me and there's another cat in here somewhere._

Emma stirred and Regina just wanted to die. She wished a dog would just come in and eat her. But she couldn't stop the kneading, she didn't want to let go of the pleasurable sensations even though her brain was telling her otherwise.

Emma's eyes opened and Regina found herself staring into those gentle green eyes that looked surprised to see her. They stared at each other for a moment, Regina never stopping her movements, wishing that someone would just throw her out of a window. Eventually Emma smiled.

"Good morning." She said in an extremely sexy sleepy voice that caused Regina to squeak. Her purring increased and her kneading sped up. Emma just laid back and put a hand behind her head and watched the cat. How could Emma not see anything wrong with this? "I thought I was dreaming honestly but apparently I'm not."

 _Well it's a nightmare for me._

The sheriff scratched under the cat's chin with her free hand, Regina closed her eyes and rubbed her face on Emma's fingertips until they were scratching her furry cheek. Emma chuckled sleepily and Regina's heart stopped at the oddly sexy sound. She looked up at Emma, the blonde sheriff looked so content. A small smile on her pink lips and a twinkle in her soft eyes.

Was she loving the attention she was receiving from Regina or was she just enjoying the company of a cat?

Either way Regina was enjoying the attention she was receiving from Emma. Not that she would ever tell her that, despite the fact that the cat inside her was giving all of that away.

They just laid like that for a while. Regina kneading away, like Emma's chest was a pie crust. Emma eating it up. In all honesty, waking up with Emma Swan was something that had crossed Regina's mind often. Snuggling with her, feeling her, smelling her but she hadn't expected it to be like this.

Standing on top of her, kneading her soft supple flesh for all this time. Emma stroked from the cat's head to her back and scratched right where the cat's tail started. That appeared to make the cat's tail switch back and forth and she found it cute.

Regina wanted to roll her eyes at Emma finding her spot so easily. She also wanted to roll her eyes at herself for finding Emma so soft and comfortable.

Emma's eyes slipped closed and she looked like she was falling back asleep and Regina thought maybe she'd do the same but there was a soft knock at the door.

"Yeah?" Emma called towards the door, being careful not to be so loud and being mindful of those tiny ears.

"Emma, breakfast is almost ready." Snow called back.

"Awesome." Emma said. "Be down in a second."

"Okay." Snow replied then she was gone.

Emma stretched and yawned. The cat had frozen her kneading at the sound of Snow's voice. "I'm gonna go wash my face and stuff." Emma said.

Regina got a strange impending sense of doom at Emma implying that she was leaving her. _God, is that what it's like for pets when people leave them? If so, I'm glad I never had one besides Rocinante. Oh god, Rocinante! I used to leave him alone all night. Oh my god._

Emma must've saw the panic on the cat's face. "Gina, I won't be gone long. I promise." She picked up the cat and placed her on the pillow beside her. "Then we can go see Henry."

That excited the cat. _Henry_. She missed him.

He wanted to stay with Emma for the weekend and the week following. It turned out that it was a good thing, given their current situation but Regina was eager to see him.

Emma smiled. "Good." She said as she stretched again. Throwing her feet over the side of the bed, she stood. Bending over so she was eye level with the cat, she whispered, "I'll be right back."

Regina tried to hold herself back but she couldn't. She had to make sure that Emma did come back although the human inside her knew she would. She lunged forward and rubbed her fluffy cheek against Emma's. Emma gasped in surprise at the contact at first but then chuckled as she pulled back.

"Five minutes." She said before leaving the room.

Regina sat there at the end of the bed, staring at the now closed door waiting impatiently, patting her tail on the bed.

A minute passed and it felt like an hour. _Where had she gone? Did she forget about me? Oh no, what if something happened to her? What if she got a new cat? A kitten? Not a kitten!_

She felt antsy and started pacing the bed. _Oh when Emma gets back here, she's going to get an earful._ _How dare her just abandon me._ _She promised to be right back. Ooh wait til I see her._ She continued walking back and forth. Her little paws crossing the yellow comforter. She stopped when she got a whiff of Emma's scent.

 _Emma_ she thought, sniffing the blanket. Yep that was Emma alright. Sweet flowery body mist and cocoa with cinnamon. Regina laid down on the comforter and started rolling around in it. Smelling Emma. It was oddly comforting and despite the fact of her missing Emma terribly, it soothed her stress. She closed her eyes and continued to rub in it. A small purr escaped her and she jumped up.

 _What the hell am I doing? I am not a cat... and Emma is definitely not my owner. I am a queen and the mayor of this town, I will not stoop to being a love sick... kitten... I will hold my head up high and-_

The door knob turned and Regina's ears shot straight up. _Emma!_ She leaped down from the bed, ran over to the door and sat there, switching her tail back and forth waiting for _her_ Emma to return to her but when the door opened she deflated in disappointment.

Snow White poked her head in and smiled down at the cat. Regina's ears laid back and she backed up a little. The woman seemed undeterred.

"Hello, pretty girl. I saw Emma come out of her room." She said in a baby voice that made Regina bristle up and turn on her side. "Why'd she leave you all cooped up in here, huh?"

 _To protect me from you._

"Come on." Snow said bending over, despite the annoyance in the cat's eyes.

 _Oh no._

She picked her up and held her close to her chest. "Let's go downstairs. Henry is very curious about you."

 _Henry_? Regina thought happily.

"Emma can meet us at breakfast." She started carrying the cat out of the room.

 _Emma_?

Snow continued to carry Regina down the stairs, completely oblivious to her squirming or simply not caring. When they reached the bottom step, the smell of bacon and eggs greeted Regina. Her tiny mouth watered and her eyes bulged. It smelled so delicious.

"Ah there's our furry little house guest." David said, sitting Neal down in a high chair.

Regina had almost forgotten how big the baby was. He was almost a year old and eating solid foods. Henry looked up from where he was texting on his phone. He smiled when he saw the cat. Regina's heart skipped when she saw her son's face light up upon seeing her. She squirmed in Snow's arms again in an attempted to get down.

"Wow." Snow chuckled. "Someone must be hungry." She carried the cat closer to the table. "Okay." She said clearing her throat. "Emma was too rude to introduce us last night, so I think I'll do it myself."

Regina rolled her eyes. Only Henry caught it and laughed. The sound made her want to get to him more.

"I'm Snow." The woman said. "This is David, my husband." She pointed to her grandson. "And this is Henry, my grandson." She then touched her son's head, who was busy playing with his toy cars. "This is my son and Emma's little brother, Neal."

Regina looked at the baby and the baby smiled up at her. He was very adorable with his dark hair like his mother and his blue eyes like his father. He was fair like Emma and had the same charming smile. Regina was fond of the baby. He had stolen Regina's heart just like his big sister had but she would never admit that to neither of them.

The little boy giggled at the cat and pointed. "Kit, kit." He squealed, in a failed attempt at saying 'kitty' and covered his little face with his chubby hands. The cat cocked her head to the side and studied him. She supposed she did look funny to him, with her furry face and pointy ears. He uncovered his face and pointed again.

With a smile, Snow lowered the cat so he could get a better look. Reaching his tiny hand over, he patted the cat on the head roughly in an attempt to pet her. Regina squeezed her eyes shut waiting for it to be over, praying that it would end before her brain was shaken loose.

"Okay Neal, too rough." Snow scolded lightly, moving Regina away. She sighed in relief. Neal grinned at the cat and waved, completely oblivious to the head trauma he had almost given her.

"Bye kit kit." He giggled, going back to his trucks.

Snow rubbed the cat's head where the baby had pounded on it. "Sorry about that." She muttered. "You're awfully too clean to be a stray but you have no collar. Where did you come from?"

"Em and I are going to put up fliers." David said sitting at the table with a mug in his hand. "Someone's got to be looking for this cat."

 _I wouldn't count on it, Buddy._

Snow turned the cat in her arms and lifted her to look her in the face. She looked into those oddly familiar brown eyes. They stared back into hers.

"Tell me," Snow began. "Where's your family?" She waited a moment as the cat appeared to be thinking it over. She focused, she hasn't spoken to a cat in years so this was going to be difficult. She continued to wait as the cat fidgeted in her arms, clearly uncomfortable. This went on for a few moments until Snow nodded. "Maybe I'm rustier than I thought." She muttered as she scratched the cat's head.

 _But you're still an idiot._

"Hey guys." Emma said jogging down the stairs. "Has anyone seen..." She trailed off when she saw the cat in Snow's arms. Emma gave Regina an apologetic look.

Regina just glared at the sheriff. _That's the longest five minutes I've ever seen._

"I took her out..." Snow said as she walked towards the kitchen. "She is a guest not a prisoner." She sat the cat down on the floor. Regina looked up at Emma.

"I just left her in my room because I didn't know your rules about pets." She shrugged. "Like if you don't want her on the furniture and stuff."

"She can go wherever she likes." Snow said pulling a saucer out of the cabinet. She set it down on the counter and retrieved a container of milk from the fridge. "Our home is her home for the time being."

Emma sighed. Sometimes she forgets that her mother is a Disney Princess. She should have known that her mother would give her shit for locking up their new furry friend. "Right..." She nodded. "Fine."

Snow nodded, satisfied and poured some milk into the saucer. The cat watched with her head tilted in curiosity. The woman winked at the cat as she added a drop of vanilla flavoring, a small spoon of sugar and stirred it. She then bent down and sat the dish in front of the cat. Regina looked down at it then back up at Snow.

 _You really expect me to drink that? I mean-_

 _Oh that smells so good._

 _This is so degrading, milk in a saucer... seriously?_

 _Oh but it smells so good._

 _I'll have just a little sip._

She leaned in close and sniffed it. _Oh that's nice._ A shiver went through her in anticipation. She felt a hand on her back, stroking gently. She looked up into Snow White's face. The woman was smiling at her.

"Go ahead, Sweetie. Drink up." She said in that baby voice. Regina rolled her eyes and turned back to the milk.

 _I'm going to destroy you, Snow._

She dipped her tongue into the milk, taking a sip, instinct sunk in. _Oh this is delicious_. _Why can't I stop?_ One sip turned into two and two to three and before long it was all gone. Regina had to stop herself from licking the bowl.

Just because she was a cat doesn't mean she couldn't have dignity and self respect.

She looked up and saw Snow still smiling down at her.

 _Did you really sit here this entire time and watch me eat? My goodness!_

"All gone." The woman cooed. "What an appetite you have, Healthy girl." She petted her again. "Now, I'm going to sit down with my family. You can come, if you like."

The cat tilted her head as Snow retrieved the saucer. "Good girl." She said again. Regina growled internally at that. After placing the tray in the sink, Snow headed back over to the table.

Regina waited in the kitchen long after Snow had left. Hearing the conversation going on at the table, she peeked around to see Emma sitting across from Henry. They were both laughing at something she hadn't heard. Henry had a huge smile on his face and it made her smile on the inside.

She was thankful that her relationship with Henry was repaired. He meant everything to her and it felt so good to know that she meant a lot to him. He loved both of his mothers equally and it was an incredible feeling to be loved by the one human being that she loved more than anything.

She caught Emma's eye and the blonde smiled. She tilted her head as if telling her to come over. Regina surprised herself by obeying and coming over to sit by Emma's chair.

Emma looked down and smiled. "Hey there."

Regina loved the playfulness in her tone and the smile on her lips. Before she could stop her stupid cat impulses, she rubbed her furry cheek on Emma's bare leg. She went around the leg of the chair, brushing her entire side against Emma's skin. A purr escaped her and she hated herself for it. Emma chuckled.

"She seems to really like you." Snow pointed out, watching as the cat sat beside Emma and looked up at her.

"You think so?" Emma asked, trying to sound innocent. "I think it's because I found her."

 _Or because I'm under a spell and it makes me behave like a fluffy, lovey dovey idiot. I have to erase all of their memories once this is over._

"Yeah but don't get attached to her. She might belong to someone." David added.

"Or not." Emma pointed out.

"I doubt she's a stray." Snow noted. "Look at that beautiful silky coat. She's well taken care of."

Regina hated how proud that compliment made her feel. _I have to hurry up and return to my human state._

Emma nodded. "I get it. I do."

"I hope we get to keep her." Henry said. "She's awesome."

Regina felt pride in that. Her son found her to be awesome, even as a cat.

Snow smiled, "So do I." She whispered to her grandson. They shared a smile.

Emma raised her brows and If Regina could, she would have as well. They shared a look.

 _Wow._

David chuckled. "Hey, Em. Maybe you and I can get some fliers made today and put them up."

Emma groaned. "Dad, it's Saturday. Can we not?"

David laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. Besides that gives the family time to put up their own fliers."

Emma nodded. "True. Besides Philip and Fredrick can deal with the flier stuff. Isn't that what deputies do?"

David laughed. "You have a point." He said thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll have them do it. I'll take a picture of her later."

"Cool." Emma said, she looked down at the cat and grinned. The cat rolled her eyes.

David nodded. "What do you two have planned for today?" He asked looking between his daughter and grandson.

Emma shook her head and Henry shrugged. "Sleeping." She said eventually.

 _Oh that sounds good_. Regina thought. She had a full tummy and she felt comfortable next to Emma. She was having a hard time not falling asleep right there by Emma's chair.

"Videogames." Henry said with a grin.

 _That's why you like coming here. Instead of studying, you slack off and play those mind numbing videogames._

"Then you're going to read a little." Emma said. "What are you reading for school?"

"Othello." Henry grumbled. "Its boring."

"Hey! I assigned that book." Snow protested.

Emma snorted. "Thirty minutes of reading before or after."

"Fine." He grumbled.

 _Nice going Emma. Maybe he doesn't run a muck whenever he comes here like I thought._

"Well, Charming and I are going to take Neal out for a few hours." Snow announced excitedly. "So that'll give the two of you some quiet time."

Emma smiled. "I'm just looking forward to getting some rest."

* * *

Emma lay on the couch, flat on her back with one arm behind her head and the other rested on the soft ball of fur lying in the center of her chest. Her parents had left soon after breakfast, leaving Emma alone with Henry and Regina. Emma took the opportunity to get in a few more hours of well needed rest and Regina couldn't help but join in, her very full tummy making it difficult to stay awake.

They both fell asleep on the couch as Henry sat on the floor, playing videogames.

Emma found it odd that the cat wanted to be close to her when the human form didn't but the affection was certainly welcome. She just wished that Regina would be like this as a human. Overall Emma wished that Regina had feelings for her. She wished that her feelings were reciprocated but they weren't so for now, Emma just took what she could get, even if that was a cursed cat.

Emma's eyes fluttered open, she felt well rested. The cat was still on her chest sleeping. She smiled at the sight and rubbed the cat's side then turned to find her son still sitting on the floor. The game was on pause and the controller sat in his lap.

She watched as he pulled the phone away from his ear. Sensing Emma's movements as she stretched, he spun around.

"What's up, kid?" Emma asked with a confused frown.

"Its mom." He said slightly nervous. "I've been calling all day and she's not picking up. That's not like her."

Emma's heart sank, of course he would be looking to check in with Regina. She mentally slapped herself on the forehead. She looked at the sleeping cat, then looked over at Henry. "She told me she was going to take some time for herself. Maybe she doesn't have her cell." She lied. She hated herself for lying to Henry. He told her how much he hated when she lied but this was necessary.

"Oh..." Henry said lowering the phone, he seemed to buy it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I figured she did."

Henry nodded. "I guess she forgot." He put his phone on the floor next to him and took his game off of pause. "That's good. She needs a break."

Emma nodded. She felt guilty for lying to their son but she couldn't possibly tell him she accidentally cursed his mother to live as a cat temporarily.

Besides, soon everything will be back to normal.

The sound of the front door opening startled Regina awake. Emma looked towards the door as her parents stepped in. Neal was in her father's arms.

"Hey guys." Emma greeted sitting up on her elbows. "How was the outing?"

"Great." Charming said with a smile. He set the little boy down and he set off crawling away.

Snow smiled as well as she looked from her daughter to the cat still sitting on her chest. "Now, I know the cat is only here for a little while but I couldn't help myself."

Emma raised a brow. "Mom, what did you do?" She felt the cat tense against her and put a comforting hand on her back.

Snow grinned sheepishly. "I stopped at the pet shop on the way home and got her a few things." Both Emma and Regina watched on in horror as Snow advanced closer. "And I'm sure she will love them." Her grin turned creepy and Regina just wanted to die.

* * *

 **No, Snow, No! Leave furry Regina alone. Lol.**

 **Hey, thanks for reading.**

 **I really enjoy writing them as animals. If you enjoyed this please take a look at my other story, "Free" both Regina and Emma get turned into wolves in that one.**

 **Anyway, please review. :)**

 **See you at the next update?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for the reviews and follows and stuff. I really appreciate it and I'm glad that you guys are enjoying the story, I wasn't too sure at first. I actually use my own cats as inspiration for Regina's little cat-like impulses (they're very silly) lol.**

 **I own nothing and sorry for mistakes.**

 **Anyway, I won't keep you. Here's chapter 2. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

"Oh come on, you don't look that bad..." Emma chuckled, taking in Regina's new appearance. The black cat was now sporting a pink faux leather collar with a tiny bell and a matching bow on her head. "You look kinda cute actually." The cat glared at Emma. If looks could kill, well let's just say that the savior would be no more. "I'm sorry but I did save you from that bath with the strawberry scented cat shampoo." The cat still looked completely unimpressed. "Still no good?" The cat shook her head. Emma chuckled as she reached over, removing the collar and the bow. "How about now?"

The cat sighed in relief, then rubbed her head on Emma's arm. Emma petted her. She wasn't quite sure but it appeared that at certain times Regina was an actual cat, like in that moment. Those moments were adorable but Emma still wanted _her_ Regina back. The slightly taller, curvy and human one that smelled of apples and expensive perfume. But that wasn't possible at the moment, so Emma had to make sure Regina stayed safe, healthy and protected from her mother for now.

"I hope this thing wears off soon." Emma admitted. "I miss you. Does that make sense?" The cat nodded. "But it's my fault and I'm acting like I'm the victim here..." She rubbed a hand over her face. She wanted to kick herself for this whole thing and the fact that Regina wasn't hitting the ceiling made her feel even more guilty. She felt a warm paw on her hand and looked down, meeting wide brown eyes. "How can you be so understanding about this?"

 _Because I've done worst things when I was training with Rumple. Everyone makes mistakes and there was no permanent damage._

Emma sighed and composed herself. "I'll try to keep you away from my mom." The cat nodded again. Emma smiled and laid back on her bed.

The two of them snuck away to Emma's bedroom, they both needed a break from the family activities after Regina's near death experience featuring Snow White with a grooming kit. The nightmare ended with Regina sporting a pink collar and a bow. But on the bright side, Regina now had a brand new food and water dish and matching litter box. There was also a cat bed with a memory foam cushion now residing in the living room but that would remain untouched just like the specialty cat food that was purchased as well.

She had no intentions of ever sleeping in that bed just like she had no intention of ever eating pet food. She was not a pet. She was Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke. She didn't eat that mess and she was going to sleep in Emma's bed... like a civilized cat... person... catperson.

She laid down and stretched her feet out in front of her. Emma looked over at her and smiled.

"You're really good at this..." She waved her hand around. "Being a cat, you know? I don't think I would have made it this long..." Regina mentally raised a brow.

 _Well, it's not like I have much of a choice, now do I?_

She simply laid her head down on her paws and watched the stunning blonde. She looked so relaxed with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, her eyes looked softer than usual. Regina doesn't really remember seeing Emma so comfortable and it was refreshing.

 _When had Emma gotten so beautiful? Why can't I stop staring into those eyes?_

At this point she had more questions than answers, like:

Why did Emma make her feel like this? Why did she feel like her world would come to a screeching halt if Emma Swan wasn't around? Why did she always want to be near her?

Now, she could blame it on the clingy cat she had become if she hadn't been feeling so attached to Emma long before that ever happened to her but in her defense, the cat part of her just magnified that. Made it difficult to deny her feelings for Emma. At this point she was in too deep. There was no going back.

If only she knew exactly what the hell was going on...

She found herself getting lost in those beautiful soft shades of (Gray to her color blind eyes) green. Those (colorless) pink lips curled up into a smile. "What?" Emma asked and that seemed to snap Regina out of it. The cat shook her head and looked away.

Emma just laid back again and blew out a breath. She never thought she'd miss Regina's smart ass mouth and sass but she did. Although receiving the silent treatment in that moment definitely delivered the sass intended.

"It could be worse you know?" Emma suggested and she snorted when the cat gave her a look. "You could be a bird then my mom would make you sing with her and stuff."

Regina thought of that. Snow making her help clean the house while singing some annoying, tuneless melody and she shuddered at the mental image. She nodded in agreement and Emma chuckled.

"Like I said before we'll just ride it out. I'll keep you away from my mom and we'll be fine." She looked at Regina and even then she could tell that she wasn't convinced. "Besides, I doubt that was all my mom had in that bag." The cat's eyes widened, comically. Emma had to fight back a laugh. "But whatever it is, it won't get you."

Regina nodded and relaxed a little. She knew Emma would protect her from Snow.

 _Is this what my life has come to? Having to be protected from Snow White? I have to seriously get back to normal._

There was a knock at the door and Emma sighed. "Yeah?" She called.

"Mom?" They both sat up at the sound of Henry's voice. Regina's tail started swaying slowing in excitement.

"What's up, Henry?"

He pushed the door open. "You kinda disappeared." He said as he stepped in. "Is everything okay?"

Emma nodded. "Sure. I just wanted to give her a fighting chance." She gestured to the cat, sitting beside her. He looked over at the worried look on the cat's face.

He snorted. "I know. It was pretty hard to watch."

Emma hummed. "I'm surprised she made it out alive." She completely missed how the cat narrowed her eyes at her.

Henry laughed. "They want to know if you wanna come watch a movie." He jabbed his thumb back towards the door. She looked at the hopeful expression on her son's face and nodded.

"Sure." She stood from the bed. despite how tired they both were of Snow, Henry's smile was worth it. "You have to help me keep your grandmother away from her."

Henry nodded seriously. "Definitely."

Emma took the cat into her arms. "Operation: Protect the cat. Has begun."

Henry laughed as they left the room. Regina sighed and rolled her eyes.

* * *

"She's not eating." Snow said worriedly as she looked over at the cat from her spot on the couch. She sat on the opposite side of Henry, Emma on the other. Emma placed her half eaten slice of pizza back on her plate. They fed Regina when their pizza arrived. That was a good thirty minutes ago and the cat still hadn't touched the food in the dish.

Emma wasn't surprised though. Regina was a classy, refined queen, she wasn't going to eat cat kibble. She'd let herself starve first. The feline in question was sitting by the pink porcelain food dish, clearly pouting. Emma nodded, taking a sip from her cup.

"She doesn't appear to like that food, mom." She said thoughtfully.

"Ah, she'll eat when she gets hungry enough." David said dismissively, missing the twin glares his wife and daughter threw him.

 _Prince Charming, pfft!_ Regina thought.

"We can't let her go hungry, Charming!" Snow protested.

"She won't." He said without looking away from the tv.

Snow huffed but Emma stood up. "I'll find her something." She started heading towards the kitchen.

Neal watched his older sister go. Suddenly the talking dinosaur and his tiny caveman friend were no longer so interesting. He was much more interested in his big sister and _her_ furry friend. He started squirming in his father's arms and reaching towards the kitchen. Getting the hint, Charming let him down. The baby instantly headed for the kitchen.

"Hey Em," David said not tearing his gaze away from the tv. As if an animated dinosaur was that entertaining for a fully grown man and father of two. "Your brother is headed your way."

"Got it." Emma said still looking in the fridge.

Regina heard the pitter patter of Neal's hands hitting the floor as he crawled in her direction. She instantly felt anxious and got tense. She liked him a lot more when she was bigger than him.

He stopped right beside her, popped her on the head a few times, trying pet her then turned his attention to the food dish. Her eyes widened and she instantly started to panic. She looked behind her at Snow and Charming who were watching the tv. She sighed, _of course you aren't watching your spawn._ She turned back to Emma who was still rummaging through the fridge.

Turning back to the baby, she mentally pleaded with him not to play in the cat food. But of course, like any other Charming, he did the total opposite of what she wished.

but he didn't put his hand in it, no, oh and he didn't try to eat it either. Instead he reached his little hand up and slapped the dish. It flipped over, splashing Regina with the water and food flew everywhere.

 _Nicely done Neal, just when I thought there was hope for you to be the only one to actually live up to your family name._

Emma spun around at the sound of the dish hitting the floor. Her mouth fell open at the sight of the soaking wet cat with cat food in her fur. "Who did this?"

Neal's eyes widened then he pointed at the cat. His finger poking her in the eye. Emma frowned. Regina looked so sad. Covered in water and cat food, a baby nearly poking her eye out and a miserable look on her face.

Emma sat the Tupperware container of leftover chicken from the night before on the counter then walked over to pick up Neal. "I know it wasn't you." She muttered to the cat.

 _Oh really now? How'd you come to that conclusion, Sheriff?_

"I'll be right back to clean you up."

 _Oh joy! As if this couldn't get anymore traumatizing..._

Emma walked over to the couch and sat her brother on her mother's lap. "What happened?" The woman asked.

"The kid spilled the cat food and water all over the cat."

Snow looked over and frowned at the sight of the cat, sitting on the floor covered in water, cat food everywhere and a sad expression. "Poor thing."

Emma hummed in agreement then hurried out of the room and returned before Regina even got a chance to miss her. She had a small hand towel in her hand. She got closer and Regina bristled. _Miss Swan, if you think I'm going to let you... oh._ She thought as Emma quickly began rubbing the cloth over Regina's wet black fur softly. Emma's touch was gentle and caring, Regina found she liked it but she kept her furry face showing nothing but indifference with a slightly hint of annoyance. When Emma finally felt the cat's fur was as dry as it was going to get, she whispered, "I'm sorry. Apparently my brother is a danger to your health as well."

Regina gave Emma a look as if to say 'ya think?'

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're all clean. I'll get this in a minute." She gestured to the mess on the floor.

 _Yeah, I just smell like wet fur, turkey giblets and liver._

Emma gave her an apologetic smile then stood and went back to the counter. After rinsing her hands, she began cutting the leftover chicken up into tiny pieces. "Come over here." She flagged the cat over to stand beside her. When the cat simply tilted her head in question, Emma sighed. "God, you're so stubborn." She grumbled. "Please, come over here."

The cat nodded in satisfaction, headed over to Emma and sat by her feet. With a roll of her eyes, Emma moved over to the microwave and popped the plate in.

 _Just because I'm in this form, does not mean that you can speak to me like some common house pet. I'm a queen and you will continue to speak to me as such._

They just stared at each other for a while as the microwave did it's thing. Regina fuming from her water dish bath and Emma trying to figure out how to fix it. After the microwave dinged, Emma grabbed the plate, making sure it wasn't too hot and set it down in front of Regina.

"Enjoy." She said grabbing some paper towels. "I'm really sorry that happened." She added then headed over to the mess.

Regina was torn between watching Emma, to make sure she didn't go too far and digging into whatever it was in that plate that smelled so delicious.

Eventually the food won out. She could still hear Emma so she decided to listen out for her instead.

 _Eating out of a dish, on the floor. How degrading..._

She sniffed the food again. _Oh... that smells so good._

She took a small bite. _Yeah, that's good_. She ate a little more. Her tummy was thankful for it. She continued to chow down on the leftover chicken until it was gone. She stared down longingly at the now empty plate.

 _That was really good but I wouldn't tell Snow that though. Enjoying Snow's cooking is something I would take to my grave. Who knew that the spoiled Princess could actually cook?_

Emma walked passed the cat and rinsed her hands in the sink. After drying them, she looked down at her. "Hey." She said crossing her arms and leaning against the counter.

 _Hey._

"Sorry about that." Emma said softly.

 _Emma, if you do not stop apologizing!_

"Kids, right?" Emma said with a sad smile. The cat nodded.

She remembers a few things Henry had done at that age.

"At least we cleaned you up before my mom tried to bathe you again." The cat looked up with frightened eyes. "She won't. I'm just saying..."

Regina simply stood up and started rubbing her furry cheek on Emma's leg. _Oh god! Would you stop that?! Ugh._ She grumbled to herself as she circled Emma's leg then crossed over and circled the other. A low rumble bubbled up from her chest but she couldn't stop it. Instead she purred on as she rubbed on Emma's skin. Emma remained still and let it continue without protest nor judgment. She appeared to like it, just as much as Regina.

"Mom!" Henry called and Emma looked up from the cat. Regina froze and her ears perked up at the sound of Henry's voice. "Grandma says she never saw Guardians of the Galaxy."

"What?" Emma said raising her brows in a mixture of surprise and outrage. Snow just shrugged as she rocked a now half asleep Neal in her arms. "We can't have that."

Snow laughed. "Save the theatrics, Emma. I told Henry that I'm going to go put Neal down for bed and we'll all watch it. I mean, The Good Dinosaur was good and all but I could tell that none of you really wanted to watch that."

Emma nodded. "Yeah but it was good for Neal."

Snow smiled. "He liked it." She stood and started crossing the room. Neal's crib was still tucked under the staircase, given their lack of space. "But right now it's time for bed."

She hummed softly to the baby as she left the room. Henry leapt up and grabbed the movie and started putting it on.

With one more glance down at the cat and tilt of her head towards the living room, Emma headed out of the kitchen. Regina followed closely, hating herself every step of the way. They entered the living room just as Henry was settling back onto the couch with the remote. Emma shook her head with a smile and plopped back into her seat beside him. She draped her arm over the back of the couch and slid down. Her legs slightly open.

Regina internally cringed at Emma's posture. _My goodness, Emma. Can you at least try to sit with a little more class? You are a princess after all._ She looked at Emma's lap, despite the way she was sitting, it looked so inviting and comfortable.

 _No! You've embarrassed yourself enough. Stop._ She already prepared herself to jump up, crouching down and moving her furry behind back and forth. Emma seemed completely oblivious as she looked at the movie box and talked to Henry about it animatedly. Regina hated how it made her want to sit with Emma even more.

 _Fine!_ She huffed mentally and leapt into Emma's lap. The blonde didn't appear to be the slightest bit surprised by the queen's appearance. She simply petted her gently and continued to talk to Henry. Regina's lids started to slip closed at the contact. _Oh no..._ She groaned as her front paws started moving, pulling at the material of Emma's shorts. _How could something so wrong feel so nice?_ She continued to knead Emma slowly. Pushing and pulling. As if her enjoying this was not embarrassing enough, she started purring.

Henry looked over at the cat and started scratching under her chin. That just caused Regina to purr louder. _Oh come on! Pull yourself together, stop it!_

David chuckled at the three of them. "Look at her go." He said watching on with a smile. "Your mom is right, Em. She really likes you."

"Yeah because I don't put frilly pink collars and bows on her. I just let her chill and do her own thing." She said pointedly.

David snorted. "Your mother means well."

Emma nodded with a smile. "I know that, you know that but does the cat know that?" She asked in a teasing tone. The man laughed.

"I doubt it. Poor thing probably sees her like an executioner."

 _And an idiot._ Regina added.

Emma laughed. "My god. She probably does."

She looked down at Regina, the cat's eyes snapped up to hers and she instantly froze. _What's she staring at?_ She sat down and continued to watch Emma. _Is there something on my face?_ Before she could catch herself, instinct won out and she licked the side of her paw and rubbed it across the side of her face to clean herself. _No, you imbecile. Stop it. This is disgusting. Stop!_ But she didn't. She continued, licking her paw again and pulling her paw behind her ear and brought it around again. She closed her eyes and did the same with the other side of her face until she felt she was clean.

 _There, are you satisfied? You made a complete fool of yourself._

She looked back at Emma who was watching her with a smile. "You look fine." She whispered. The cat looked shocked and embarrassed. Regina just wanted to bury herself in her litter box and wait for death. So she simply laid down in Emma's lap and curled into a ball. Emma scratched behind her ear.

"Emma," Snow said as she returned to the couch. "Maybe you can check in your room and see if the cat lost her bow and collar in there."

Emma fought back a smirk. "Yeah sure."

"I have no idea how she got them off." Snow said thoughtfully as she sat down between Henry and David.

"Me neither." Emma said quickly. "Hey Henry, start the movie it's getting late." She added, avoiding her mother's gaze. Henry smiled, assuming she knows what happened to them and pressed play on the menu.

* * *

Regina awoke the next morning, a little disoriented and confused but she put all of the pieces together quicker than she had the morning before. She remembered that she was a cat, she was staying with Emma until she returned to normal and it's a hard knock life for a cat in the Charming household. Snow White in particular was a nightmare. For the briefest of moments Regina even thought that perhaps Snow knew and she was trying to get back at her for what happened in the past. She quickly shook that thought off. They had long since reconciled and had even become friends. Besides Snow is not petty nor is she that smart to put all of it together.

She relaxed further against the warm body she saw snuggled against. Just enjoying the warmth and the scent of Emma Swan. _Emma!_ Her eyes sprung open and she looked up at Emma's sleeping face. _God, she's so beautiful..._

 _No. Stop it. This is Emma Swan. Annoyingly charming, Emma Swan. Ugh! I don't have feelings for her. It's this curse. We're just friends and..._ her eyes fell to those lips again and she sighed. _This is all her fault._

She was pressed firmly against Emma's front as the blonde laid on her side. Emma had a protective arm around her, holding tight. It felt odd how much she enjoyed being held by the savior. She also hated how vulnerable she felt. But that's what Emma always did. Chipped at her layers until she revealed who she truly was. Why would it be any different now?

Honestly she hadn't even remembered coming upstairs but she did remember falling asleep snuggled up in Emma's lap, in the middle of the movie. Films had sort of lost their appeal now that she could no longer see in color.

Emma must've carried her upstairs and gotten into bed with her in her arms and fallen asleep that way. If that was the case then that was.. well... sweet, even cute.

 _Really Regina?_ She sighed. _Cute? Emma Swan is not cute..._

 _Why do you have to be so charming?_ Regina thought, still staring at Emma. _And adorable?_

With a groan which came out as a whine, she wiggled out of Emma's arms and slid down until she was free. She felt that sense of calm again that she dreaded. Despite her mind's protests she put her front paws on Emma's side, but before she could begin kneading, the bedroom door opened quietly. Regina turned to the door and her ears perked up.

 _Henry?_ She thought excitedly but panic consumed her when she saw who had crept into the room.

"Ah. You're awake." Snow whispered, tiptoeing to the bed. "I thought maybe you and I can start our day a bit early."

Regina looked over at Emma who hadn't even stirred at her mother's intrusion. Regina looked back at Snow with wide eyes. _Oh Emma, please wake up._ She pleaded as Snow advanced closer. She looked over at Emma frantically. "It's okay, Emma won't mind."

 _Actually she does. She was trying to keep me away from you._

Snow picked the cat up and held her close. The cat started squirming and wiggling in the woman's hold, which only caused the woman to tighten her grip and almost squeeze the life out of her. "Come now, baby."

The woman exited the room quietly, all the while Regina was begging Emma to wake up but the blonde woman slept like a log. She honestly just prayed that Emma would notice the absence of her body before it was too late.

As Snow closed the door. She stiffened. She doubted she would make it out of this alive.

Her heart started racing and she felt faint as they headed to the staircase. She tried one last time to squirm free. Sure the drop from Snow's arms was a steep one but at that point, she was prepared to face severe injury rather than whatever Snow had in store for her. She shuddered at the sheer thought of the horror that Snow had planned.

When they reached the bottom step, Regina made one last futile attempt at escape before giving up and deciding to face her fate with her head held high, like the queen she was.

They crossed the bottom floor to the bathroom and Regina froze once she smelled the scent inside of the warm room and she instantly started panicking.

 _Strawberries. Oh god no._

She looked around, slightly hyperventilating. _She's going to give me a bath!_ At that moment her survival instincts kicked in. She started wriggling even more and managed to turn herself in Snow's arms and started pushing at her chest, trying to break out of the woman's grasp.

"It's okay." The woman said soothingly. Although it didn't comfort Regina at all.

 _No it's not! You're going to drown me or worse, mess up my beautiful coat. Wait... Regina froze. Did I just... I don't care about my coat. I am not a cat!_

But if that was the case, why was she so horrified of the water in the bathtub?

"Just relax." Snow said stroking the cat's back gently. She knelt down by the tub. Regina looked up into her eyes, trying to plead with her.

 _Snow, come on. Can we work something out? Can we talk this out like the queens we are?_

The woman smiled. "I'll try to make this as pleasant as possible."

 _The only way you can make this pleasant was if you didn't do it at all._

"Okay, here we go." Snow lifted the cat up and lowered her into the bathtub.

As soon as Regina's feet his the water she began to panic even more. She let out a distressed mewl and if she wasn't in fear for one of her nine lives, she would have been quite embarrassed.

Snow lowered her until her legs were completely submerged. The cat tried to jump out. Her chest was heaving and her wide eyes were darting all over room, looking for a route of escape.

"Shhh... Honey, it's okay." She held the cat down with one hand and found the shampoo.

 _Snow, I know I said I was retired from taking hearts but you're making me reconsider that decision._

She continued to squirm in the woman's hold. Snow simply squeezed some of the liquid onto the cat's head, Regina closed her eyes. Snow hummed an annoyingly sweet melody as she massaged the gel into the cat's fur.

Regina glared at Snow, _you are so lucky that Emma and Henry care about you so much._

"There." The woman said after a while. She reached for the shower head. "We'll have you all clean in a moment." She adjusted the water.

 _I hate you, Snow White._

Satisfied, she turned the water onto the cat. When the warm water hit her, Regina flailed around, splashing water all over the front of the other woman's shirt. Regina smirked internally.

 _Well, that made me feel a hell of a lot better._

The woman shook her head but she didn't seem the slightest bit annoyed and that disappointed Regina. The cat simply placed her paws on the side of the tub and stood as Snow rinsed the sweet smelling pet shampoo out of her fur.

The entire time, Regina brainstormed ways to destroy the other woman in her kitty form. She was sincerely surprised by how many ideas she came up with.

Eventually Snow shut off the shower and Regina let out a sigh of relief. The woman let the water out of the drain. "There," Snow cooed. "All clean." She picked the cat up and placed her on a blue fluffy towel on the floor.

Regina grinned mentally then shook her body, water flew everywhere, wetting Snow further. _Take that, Snow White._ She looked up at the woman and she looked back her. _How do you like that?_

Snow shook her head and started laughing.

 _Unfuckingbelievable._ Regina rolled her eyes.

"I guess I deserved that, huh?"

 _Damn right._

Snow nodded. "At least you're clean." She started drying the cat with the towel. When she felt she was dry enough, she stood and picked the cat up. Sitting the cat on the toilet lid, she then went about plugging in the big black hair dryer.

Regina's eyes widened then she tried to make a break for it but snow was quicker and caught her. She held her still. The cat looked towards the closed door, longingly.

"Oh you're trying to get to Emma..." Snow said thoughtfully.

 _Not really, just away from you._

"Don't worry. Emma'll be up soon and she'll get to see how pretty you look."

 _Emma?_

Snow turned the dryer on and nearly startled the cat to death. "Here goes." She said as she began drying her.

Regina contemplated ways to end Snow White that would be clean and efficient and couldn't be traced back her. So far she had come with two ways as Snow finally finished drying her.

"Awww... look at you!" Snow chuckled. She grabbed a hand mirror.

 _Snow White, I haven't said this in a long time but I will destroy your happiness if it is-_

Her train of thought was cut off when she saw her reflection. Her fur was fluffed out. She looked like a tiny, jet black cloud. Some of the fur was covering her eyes and her dark eyes were nearly impossible to see. _As if this couldn't get any worse._

She looked at Snow who was smiling at her adoringly. _I will get you for this!_

"Now come along." Snow said picking her up. "Lets get you combed and brushed so that we can dress you." She said carrying her out of the bathroom.

 _Oh god, Emma. Where are you?!_

* * *

Emma jogged down the stairs to the first floor, unsure of what she was going to encounter. When she woke up, the cat was gone and her door was shut. It wasn't like the cat got up, opened the door and shut it back, so it only meant one thing... her mother took her. Regina was in danger. When Emma reached the bottom step her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Oh. My. God." She muttered at the sight that greeted her. "Mom, what did you do?"

When Regina heard her voice, she looked over at Emma, her huge brown eyes widening with excitement then she remembered that she was mad at her for not saving her earlier and quickly looked away.

Emma took in the appearance of the cat. She was wearing a new white bow, a new collar made to look like a pearl necklace, a bell hanging from it... and... Emma sighed and rubbed a hand over face. A small white cat dress that came out into a tutu. The outfit was complete with sequins and rhinestones that shimmered and sparkled.

Emma cringed.

"Doesn't she look precious?" Snow squealed. "I just thought the little princess costume was absolutely stunning!"

"Oh it's something alright." Emma muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. She looked the cat over again and could tell that she was seething. Her tail was swaying rapidly, a glare in her eyes directed at Snow White.

"I have others but this one just seemed to work for today." Snow babbled on and the cat rolled her eyes. "She had a lovely bath and was a very good girl..." Emma's eyes widened at that and she felt instantly guilty. She slept too heavily and as a result, she didn't even hear her mother kidnap Regina.

Emma cleared her throat. "Did she eat yet?"

Snow shook her head with a smile. "She wanted to wait for you. I could tell..."

Emma forced a smile. "Okay cool." She walked over to the couch, ruffling Henry's hair, who was sitting on the floor mindlessly staring at the t.v. with a bowl of cereal in his lap, along the way. The boy laughed and swatted her hand away. David was sitting on the couch with Neal in his lap as all three of them watched some preschool show.

Emma leaned over and picked Regina up. "I am so sorry. I have no idea how I slept through that..." She whispered and the cat just gave her a look. "Right..." Emma nodded. "Lets get you fed." She tucked the mayor under her arm and started towards the kitchen.

"She's looks so cute." She heard Snow say from behind them. Both of them rolled their eyes.

Once inside the kitchen, she sat Regna down on the floor. "I really am sorry." She muttered before going to get Regina's milk.

* * *

Snow and Charming go to Granny's for lunch. Basically leaving Regina to babysit Henry, Neal and Emma. The four of them had just had lunch themselves. The three humans having grilled cheeses while the cat had salmon. Emma simply shrugged when Henry asked why she was cooking the cat a meal when Snow had just bought her gourmet cat food.

Regina was surprised that she actually enjoyed Emma's cooking as well. _What is happening to the world...?_

Emma had been amazing the entire time and making this unfortunate circumstance slightly more bearable and Regina was grateful for her. Not that she would tell her that...

After lunch, Regina sat between Henry and Emma (who were more interested in a dumb video game than her) while Neal sat on the floor and played with what appeared to be a 'see and say'. Every time the wheel would spin and land on the picture of a cat, the toy would play an exaggerated meow (which Regina found offensive although she wasn't quite sure why) and the little boy would look up at Regina and giggle.

 _Yeah laugh it up, buddy. At least I have all my hair._

The black cat, had her head rested in Emma's lap while the rest of her rested in the tiny space between the blonde and Henry.

Emma had taken the dress off but must've forgotten about the bow and collar. Regina had to admit that she felt slightly naked without her little ensemble but on the other hand she realized how ridiculous that was. She looked up at Emma, whose eyes were still glued to the television screen. Her fingers were moving furiously on the controller as she and Henry completed some mission.

Regina stood up and looked at Emma again. The woman's lips were pressed into a tight line as she focused. She hadn't even noticed the cat move.

 _Hey! Why won't you pay attention to me?_

 _Wait... why do I care?_

 _Pay attention to me!_

 _I have to get her attention,_ she thought. _I should be getting all of her attention, not some stupid video game! Emma is mine!_

 _Wait, what? No, stop that. Emma is not mine. I am not a cat and she is not my owner._

She felt her body moving again without her permission. She was helpless as she leaned forward and pressed her head to the back of Emma's hand. She rubbed her cheek from side to side against the warm skin and her eyes slipped closed.

 _Don't enjoy this. Don't! This is so humiliating. Emma would never let me live this down._

She looked up at Emma who glanced down at her and smiled, then looked back at the screen.

 _Oh no, you did not!_

She placed her paw on Emma's hand and stared into her face.

 _This is your fault. The least you can do is pet me!_

Before she could react, a soft meow escaped her. Emma stopped and looked down at her. _There you go._ She thought as Emma lowered the controller and freed one of her hands. Emma smiled at her.

"What's up?" She asked, the cat rubbed her cheek on her hand again. "Okay, that's what you want?" She started scratching the cat's head and Regina sighed. Moving so that she was sitting completely in Emma's lap, she closed her eyes. _I hate you_. She muttered to herself. _Get it together._ Emma's fingers found the space behind her ears and she shivered. _Oh that's nice. Right there._ She turned her head as if directing Emma, who obliged happily.

That's when it happened, a low purr from deep within her was released. The rumbling in her chest, small and softer than usual but she couldn't help it. Emma had magic fingers and she loved it.

She sunk in further and Emma gave her her undivided attention, using her other hand to stroke the cat's back. Regina had practically melted into Emma's body at this point and she didn't even care anymore. She let it go for now.

"Mom, they found us. Come on!" Henry exclaimed urgently. Emma's hands froze. Regina's eyes popped open at the loss of contact, just to watch Emma's hand scrambling for the controller.

"Shit." Emma muttered returning to the game. The cat swatted her hand then gave her a hard look for swearing in front of Henry. "Sorry." She grumbled.

Regina rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. She officially lost Emma's attention and honestly she missed it.

With a sigh, she realized that her tiny bladder was talking to her. She jumped down from Emma's lap and decided to go do something about it. The sheriff seemed to notice that.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked looking down at her. Regina just gave her a bored look.

"Mom, I know Snow White is your mom and all but you don't have to talk to animals. It's weird." Henry said not looking away from the screen in front of him.

Emma cleared her throat but her eyes never left the cat. Regina turned back around and headed towards the bathroom, narrowly escaping Neal's grab for her.

She stepped into the hideously decorated bathroom and a shiver ran through her as she remembered the bath from hell. Shaking off the feeling, she continued inside and headed for the toilet, the lid was down.

 _Damnit_ , she turned back to the pink litter box filled with fresh, unused, scented litter.

With a heavy sigh, she headed over to it. _Okay let's see here..._ She stepped one paw inside and then the other. She climbed all the way in and just stood there, hoping instinct would just kick in. _This is insane. Is this seriously what my life has come to? Where is a killer Rottweiler when you need one?_

* * *

Instinct did kick in actually and Regina exited the bathroom highly humiliated and praying for a spontaneous bolt of lightening or anything to end this. She was so wrapped up in her own emotional trauma that she didn't even notice the danger headed her way. She saw small feet in front of her and when she looked up, her fur stood on end and her tail bristled when she looked up into Neal's face, grinning down at her.

 _Oh so you can walk? Lazy like your big sister, huh?_

He giggled, his eyes shinning with excitement. He reached a hand out and Regina backed up. He just stepped closer, with a smile on his face. "Kit kit." He giggled.

Regina peeked around him to see if the two people responsible for watching this child even had a clue that he was about to murder the cat.

She was eventually backed up against the kitchen island. Her eyes frantically searched for a route of escape. The baby sat down in front of her and she watched him nervously.

His small hand reached out again and his little finger poked her nose. She closed her eyes at that contact. It wasn't that bad. Rougher than she would have liked but he's a baby. She expected worse.

 _Okay, young Prince, go play now._

Neal giggled again and went for those pointy ears. He pinched the tips of both of them and pulled. She closed her eyes tightly at the sharp pain.

 _Ouch._

He laughed at the kitty's funny expression. He released her ears and pulled her into his arms, squeezing tightly as he hugged her. She gasped for air as he squeezed it out of her. She felt her lungs burning as they struggled to pull in air. He was surprisingly strong for a baby and she started feeling light headed.

 _This is it. This is how I go. Goodbye cruel world._

 _To think I've cheated death so many times just to be defeated by a baby. And here I was thinking Emma was the one destined to end me..._

At that moment, that very blonde happened to look over to the scene of her baby brother killing her friend. She gasped, jumped to her feet and sprinted over to the two of them.

"Neal." She said bending over and prying the cat out of the child's arms. "Too rough."

 _I'll say..._ Regina inhaled a lungful of air.

He giggled and crawled away.

"I'm really sorry about that." Emma whispered. "Just like my mom. He loves, well... a little too much."

 _Well, I'm glad you didn't get that trait._

"But he's a baby, you know... and you're a cute fluffy kitty and all so..."

 _Too bad you're an idiot as well... I mean, for the love of god, Emma, how hard could it be to keep a cat alive..._

Emma held Regina securely in her arms and Regina's pouting was cut short when she got a whiff of Emma's scent. She leaned in close and smelled her.

 _Ugh, I hate myself right now. Why does she smell so... nice and enticing? Has she always smelled this way? What is she wearing?_

 _Stop it, Regina._

She wanted to. She was making a fool of herself again but she couldn't stop it. Emma's scent was so comforting and slightly addictive.

 _Fuck it._

She rubbed against Emma's chest, shamelessly smelling her, as she carried her back to the couch. They sat and Regina stretched out in the sheriff's lap, feeling a little better. She yawned as she got comfortable, preparing for a nap. She knew she'd be safe there and frankly she had enough excitement for one day.

* * *

 **Thanks so much for reading.**

 **Please review. They're very helpful. See ya at the next update! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi, thanks for the lovely reviews and for following this story. I'm glad to see that you guys are having fun. It's exactly what I intended.**

 **I saw a some reviews mention putting Regina in a particular situation... (I can't say exactly what without giving away too much) but I hope that's what you wanted. :)**

 **I own nothing. Sorry for mistakes.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Regina survived the night which was a miracle in itself. Emma locked her bedroom door so fortunately for Regina, Snow couldn't sneak in and abduct and her. She slept peacefully most of the night, snuggled into Emma's side but her peace was cut short by a nightmare. She dreamt she was in a large room filled with giant cat brushes and shedding combs. She managed to dodge all of them as they grew legs and began chasing her. She ran out of the door into a white hallway that appeared to go on forever. She kept running, looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being chased by the grooming supplies but a low giggle echoed down the endless hall. She came to a screeching halt when she saw the gigantic baby headed her way. She gasped and turned to run in the opposite direction but before she could get far, a hand grabbed her, lifting her off the ground. She squirmed and struggled in their grasp but couldn't break free. She was forced to just look into the face of her captor and her eyes widened with fear. Neal. The baby giggled again. He then opened his little mouth and guided her to it. She fought harder to get away but was over powered by the fifty foot baby. He popped her into his mouth like a gumball.

That's when she was startled awake. She sat up, chest heaving and panting. _It was all a dream..._ She thought... _maybe_... She looked down at her black paws, the nightmare was not over.

 _Still a cat_. She sighed.

"Hey..." A familiar voice said causing Regina to both perk up and feel suddenly embarrassed. She looked up into Emma's eyes. There was so much concern in them. "You were dreaming."

 _Was I?_

"You were running on her side and making little sounds. Are you okay?"

The cat nodded. _I am now. Now come here and cuddle with me._

She burrowed into Emma's chest and the blonde stroked her back. She and Emma were getting too comfortable with this. It should have been strange and awkward but it felt nice, almost natural. Emma knew how to pet her just right and she clearly loved doing it.

They just laid there like that until Regina sat up suddenly. Her front paws rested on Emma chest as the blonde stroked her coat softly. Regina closed her eyes and purred.

 _I can't believe that I'm doing this. I am such a...a... jerk!_ but there's just something about Emma and her presence that makes Regina want to do this. Makes her want to throw all of her self respect out of the window and snuggle with her but she can't do that. Especially since in the near future, she'll return to humanhood... but Emma is so... comforting and she instantly feels safe in her presence.

A loud shrill ringing, caused Regina to flinch. The sound hurting her hyper sensitive ears. Emma reach over and shut the alarm off then scratched the top of the cat's head for a while longer. She then lifted her under her front legs and placed her down beside her.

 _Rude. Excuse you._ Regina thought bitterly.

Regina watched Emma with a tilt of her head as she stretched, trying with everything she had not to focus on the way Emma's muscles flexed and bulged as she did so. The woman was build like a Greek goddess and this situation has allowed her to see more of Emma than she would have otherwise.

And Emma wasn't very modest and very comfortable with her body. Honestly, Regina's first night in the house, the blonde pulled her shirt over her head and gave Regina an eyeful. Although the view was very nice and apparently the attention wasn't unwelcome because Emma simply smirked and put on a new shirt. Regina on the other hand felt like a complete pervert and covered her small face with her paws. Emma chuckled and told her it was okay to look because she was dressed.

This time however was no different. Emma pulled her tank top over her head but to Regina's pleasure and embarrassment she wasn't wearing anything underneath. The cat quickly turned around and hid her face in her paws for good measure.

She heard Emma chuckle from behind her. "It's funny that you react that way since you're the one who's actually naked here."

Regina's ears perked up at that then laid back. _I'm not naked,_ you idiot. _I'm covered in a beautiful, high-end, fur coat... wait, what?_

"Anyway..." Emma continued as if she hadn't just said something weird. "I had to shower at like three a.m. first to make sure my mom was asleep and two to make sure she couldn't snatch you this morning." Both she and the cat sighed collectively. "This is getting out of hand..."

 _You think?_

"I mean, she really likes you. Which I can't exactly blame her for because you're so damn cute."

Regina sighed and Emma chuckled. "Well you are..."

Regina rolled her eyes. _Flattery gets you nowhere, Miss Swan. Anyway, I find my human self much more attractive._

"You can turn around now." Emma announced. Regina looked over just in time to see Emma clipping her sheriff's badge onto her hip. "Want me to brush you or something?" Regina just gave her a look and Emma laughed. She just raised her hands in surrender. "Okay. I just thought because we were going out..."

 _No, I would very much rather make it through this day in one piece... wait..._ She tilted her head. _We?_

Emma seemed to read the cat's expression, which she's been getting good at. "Well I can't leave you here alone."

Regina nodded. _Well that is true._

"I mean, I could always play hooky and we can just stay home..."

The cat just narrowed her eyes at her.

"Well, it was worth a shot." Emma gathered the cat into her arms. "Let's go eat."

Regina shook her head as Emma carried her out of the room.

* * *

Emma sat at the breakfast table, shoveling eggs and bacon into her mouth, watching the cat out of the corner of her eye who was lapping at a bowl of cream, seemingly content. Emma smiled a little to herself. Regina Mills, the regal queen, the mayor was now 'Mayor Furball'. She chuckled to herself.

"She fits right in with us." Snow said following her daughter's line of sight.

"Yeah it's like she's one of us. Part of the family, you know?" Emma agreed.

"Too bad we can't keep her." David noted and Emma and Snow looked at him with wide eyes. He shrugged. "She doesn't belong to us, remember?"

"Right..." Snow said with a frown. "But if no one claims her, we can keep her."

David nodded. "Sure, why not? It'll be nice for Neal to have a playmate."

Regina looked up from her bowl and Emma gave her a reassuring look that said, her baby brother would not be playing with her ever. The cat seemed to accept that and returned to her milk.

"We're going to start on those fliers." David said. "I'll take a picture of her then I'll have the guys print up some fliers and put them up around town." He said thoughtfully. "We'll give it a week. If no one claims her then we keep her."

Emma laughed in her head at that. "Okay." She said sipping from her mug.

"We should call her something..." Henry finally spoke up for the first time that morning. His brain finally awake. "We can't keep calling her 'the cat'."

"That's true... " Snow said thoughtfully. "But we don't want to confuse her in case the real owners come up."

Emma was amused by the entire conversation and apparently so was Regina because she shook her head lightly.

"We have to call her something." Henry insisted.

"Okay, so we'll all think of a name for this beautiful girl." Snow said with a kind smile at the cat. The cat narrowed her eyes at the woman. "We'll put them in a hat. Neal will reach his hand in and whatever name he pulls out we'll call her for now."

Everyone nodded. "Okay. Cool." Emma said wiping her mouth with a napkin. She threw it onto her plate and stood up. "But... I have to go to work."

David looked at his watch and nodded. "Me too. Don't want to be late."

"What are we doing with her?" Henry asked nodding towards the cat.

"Oh, she's going with me." Emma said with a shrug.

"To work?" Henry asked amused.

Emma nodded. "She'll be an honorary sheriff for the day."

"A mascot." Snow added.

"Sure." Emma said with a shrug.

Emma headed for the stairs to grab her jacket. Her mom and Neal couldn't do much to Regina in those few moments but just to be safe, she turned around, catching Henry's eyes. "Watch her." She mouthed and pointed at the cat. He nodded with a smile. She then turned to the cat that looked like she was going to follow her. "I'll be right back." She mouthed to her too. The cat nodded.

"The cat is going to be at the office with you guys." Snow said to David. The man nodded. She smiled wide. "I have the perfect outfit for that."

"Snow..." David groaned. The woman had already gotten up and left the table. He sighed and went back to his food.

Snow all but ran into their room. She returned a moment later with a small costume in her hand. The cat didn't even notice her sneaking up before it was took late and the woman had already grabbed her.

Snow hummed softly as she carried the cat over to the couch and sat her on it before sitting beside her. The cat tried to make a break for it but Snow caught her.

"Just relax, honey." She said removing the costume from the protective wrapper.

 _Why must you insist on treating me like a doll, Snow? I am a living breathing thing._ Undeterred however, Snow laid out the costume and Regina sighed in annoyance.

 _The only thing keeping me from tearing you apart is Emma and Henry._

Snow pulled the cat's leg up and put it through one side then slid on the other. She slid it the rest of the way down. She moved Regina's body this way and that as she put it on. Regina was fed up by the time she was finished. She had counted to ten about five times in total and she still wanted to rip the woman's face off.

Satisfied with her work Snow smiled. "There..."

Regina looked away from her.

"Oh wait." Snow said quickly and pulled something from behind her back. Regina eyed the pink item warily. Snow leaned over and pulled a band under her chin and settled something on top of her head.

 _No. Not a hat._

"Now you're ready." The woman said with an even bigger, creepier smile.

Regina just wished she could conjure a fireball.

* * *

Emma was gone no longer than five minutes. Having had decided to put a little make up on while she was up there in her room. She headed back down and groaned at the sight that greeted her. Snow was sitting on the couch with the cat in her lap and a pleased smile on her face. Said cat was wearing a pink and rhinestoned cowboy outfit, along with a very pissed off expression.

"Seriously mom..." Emma sighed, running a hand over her face. "I leave you alone for five minutes..."

Snow smiled unbelievably wider. The cat looked like she wanted to die. "I saw this outfit in the petshop and I thought it was so cute because of you and your dad's professions and when you said she would be spending time with the two of you today, I decided to put it on her." Emma opened her mouth but her mom cut her off. "Doesn't she look cute!" She squealed.

"Yup." Emma said, although her face was slightly horrified.

"I thought the Sheriff uniform was so adorable."

 _Ah, a sheriff. That's what it is._ Emma thought. She should have known with the star on the shoulder of the outfit. Like the other costume, this one came out into a tutu at the bottom. Very girly, with a matching pink sheriff's hat that said 'sheriff's department' in tiny white letters. Now the costume was cute but Regina did not look pleased. In fact she looked like she was about to rip Snow's face off at any moment.

Emma walked over and took the cat. She felt the cat relax in her arms. "We're gonna go." She said with a smile. "There's a town to protect."

 _You can protect the town but not the cat?!_ Regina thought.

"Of course." Snow said standing. "Bye little girl." She sing-songed to the cat as she scratched her head. "Have a great day."

 _I definitely will as long as you aren't in it._

"Thanks mom." Emma said. "See ya."

"Love you." Snow said kissing her cheek.

"Love you too, Mom." She said with a smile. "Have a great day, kid!" She said towards Henry who was sitting at the dinning room table, playing with his phone.

"Later mom." He said without looking up. She just shook her head.

Henry sometimes walked to school with Snow when he stayed over at her place. The four of them were currently waiting on whoever was babysitting Neal for the day.

Emma made a dash for the door. "See ya at work, Dad." She called towards the kitchen where her father was with Neal. She waved at her brother, who waved back. She didn't even wait for a response from her dad as she slipped out of the apartment. On the way down the stairs, Emma clutched Regina tightly to her chest. "I can't believe that happened again. I'm so sorry. How'd she do that so fast?"

 _It wasn't fast at all... it was a very slow, agonizing, torture._

Out on the street, Emma exhaled. At least they got a little break for the day. Opening the bug, she sat Regina in the passenger seat, then went about strapping her in. Satisfied that it wasn't squishing the cat, she jogged around to the other side and slid in. She grinned over at the cat as she started the car. "Ready to see what your sheriff does all day?"

Regina rolled her eyes. _I don't have to go to work with you in order to know that you do nothing but play games on your phone and eat deep fried, glazed snacks all day._

Emma chuckled as if she could sense the snarky comment as they pulled off.

* * *

Emma strolled into the station with the cat tucked under her arm, completely oblivious to the cat's annoyed expression at being carried around everywhere like a handbag. Sure, she was small and cute and cuddly but she could still walk on her own.

But to be quite honest, she didn't even really want to... She liked for Emma to carry her and hold her close. Cuddle her. She liked the way Emma's body felt and smelled.

 _If I was in my human form I would..._

 _Oh my god..._ She trailed off. _Stop it. Don't be so.. disgusting. Emma Swan is your friend, you imbecile. Even if you are attracted to her. You will not act like it. Besides you're a cat. I'm pretty sure there are laws against that._

"Morning." Emma said to her deputies who were standing by the coffee machines, clearly chatting about their weekends.

"Morning." They both said with huge smiles.

Emma nodded her head. She noticed them staring at the cat under her arm so she quickly disappeared into her office before any questions came up. They entered Emma's office and Emma kicked the door closed. She walked over to the desk and sat the cat on top of it.

She then gently removed the costume. She left the collar and the hat but Regina wasn't exactly sure why, she was just pleased that the rest of it was gone. Emma folded up the outfit and stuffed it into the drawer of the desk.

She then shrugged off her jacket and fell into her office chair. She kicked back, put her feet up on the desk and leaned back. Regina's eyes opened in surprise.

 _Excuse you. You have the mayor in your office. Show some respect._

She hit Emma's leg a few times until the blonde looked over at her. "What?" The cat narrowed her eyes at her. "Please, spare me, Regina. Nothing hardly ever happens in this town."

 _Maybe we don't need a Sheriff then..._

Emma pulled her phone out and started playing on it. Regina growled low at the dismissal then hit Emma again. When those beautiful eyes looked at her, she sent her a glare that would have sent a chill through anyone else's body but Emma knowing Regina was all bark and no bite or in Regina's case, all hiss and no bite at this point, it didn't even faze her.

After a staring contest that neither of them were willing to forfeit, Emma grinned wide.

 _Emma, why are you looking at me like that? What are you- ah!_

She was pulled into the Sheriff's lap. Emma then quickly began scratching behind the cat's ears and snuggling her close to her chest. Regina struggled for a moment but Emma was much stronger than she was. With a heavy sigh, she relaxed against her. "Stop being so grumpy." Emma whispered as she hugged the cat.

Regina found herself really liking it and she despised herself for it. Emma was gentle in ways she hadn't expected. Her hands stroking down her spine felt really good. She couldn't stop herself when she leaned her head forward and rubbed her cheek against Emma's. She was standing on Emma's chest now, rubbing against her but Emma didn't seem to mind. She was loving the attention. Her fingers found the place right near Regina's tail and started scratching.

 _Oh, you've found my spot again._

To her embarrassment, she let out a soft purr. _That's it._ Emma. _Right there._

Emma kept up her scratching and her petting, until Regina was a purring, snuggling mess. _Oh this feels so good._

There was a knock at the door, interrupting their moment. Regina growled when Emma's hand stopped.

"Yeah?" Emma asked.

"Hey sheriff." Philip said as he poked his head in.

"What's up?" Emma asked as her hand returned to rubbing the cat. The young man stepped inside. Looking the cat for a moment, he smiled.

"Whos this?" He asked as he crossed the room. He leaned over the desk and patted the cat on the head.

Regina froze at the contact but decided that since she had no problems with him that it would be okay.

"A stray." Emma said with a shrug. "Or someone lost her but I'm keeping an eye on her until we find where she belongs."

"She's cute." The Prince said. "Aurora and I have been talking about getting our son a puppy..."

Emma smiled. "You should. Kids love pets. My brother really likes her."

 _Yeah a little too much. I'm sure I have bruises._

"That's really cute." Philip said with a smile and Emma nodded in an attempt to move him along. "So yeah... should Fredrick and I go on patrol?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't see why not. You'll just go crazy in here." The Prince smiled. "But David wants you to help him with fliers for the cat."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll wait for him."

Emma nodded and went back to petting the cat.

They chatted a little and Philip told Emma what Aurora and his son were up to. Emma listened with a small smile as the man excitedly told her about the baby who was a little younger than her own brother. Regina had zoned out at some point and had focused on shamelessly getting affection from Emma.

David came barreling into the office, a cat bed tucked underneath his arm. Emma's eyes widened and settled on the bed. He noticed this and gestured to it. "Your mother..." He sighed and Emma nodded. He placed it down, off in the corner of the office... "I figured you would take that off." He said gesturing to the hat of the costume. The cat narrowed her eyes at Emma.

"I was..." Emma said almost guiltily. "But isn't it so cute?" She reached up and tilted the hat to the side. She narrowly missed the cat swatting her hand away.

David chuckled. "It is." He straightened up and headed across the office. He patted Philip on the shoulder in greeting. "Don't worry, your mother has plenty more where that came from."

Emma and Regina's eyes widened at his words. They turned back to each other and shared a look. Emma winced when the cats nails dig into her skin. "Ouch." She said prying the paws off of her.

 _Sorry._

Emma sighed and David nodded. "I know." She smiled and shook her head. "I just hope she gives her a break."

The man chuckled and turned to his deputy. "Emma tell you what we're doing today?"

"Yep. Making fliers for the cat."

"Right." David said pulling his phone out of his back pocket. Getting the hint, Emma sat up and placed the cat on the table. He angled his phone to take the picture and Regina decided that it would be the perfect time to be difficult. To get him back for the hell his son and wife had put her through the last couple of days.

As soon as she heard the click indicating that he started to take the picture, she turned her furry cheek. "No, no, no." David pleaded then sighed when he looked back at picture which was just a blurry image of the cat's side profile.

He turned the phone's screen to face his daughter and she snorted. "She doesn't want her picture taken, Dad."

He shook his head with a smile. "I know but that Sheriff hat is perfect." He laughed and raised the phone again.

 _I'm glad you find that funny, Prince Uncharming._

He snapped the picture again and sighed when the cat moved yet again, this time looking down so that he only got the pink Sheriff hat. "She's stubborn." He noted to his daughter. Emma nodded.

 _I'll show you stubborn._

So she did. The next couple of pictures were of the cat's side profile, top of her head and were just a blur of motion. David had about twelve pictures in his camera roll and none of which were usable. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Emma and Philip were cracking up at that point. David shook his head and leaned down so that he could address the cat.

"Look," he explained calmly. "I'm doing this for your own good."

 _No you're not._

"So we can track down your family."

 _They might be closer than you think._ She thought, looking over at Emma. _No. I certainly do not see Emma as family. If so, it's only because of Henry. Henry's family and that makes Emma, something close to that and that's it. Nothing more._

"So please be good?" He added, snapping Regina out of her thoughts. She sighed heavily.

 _Oh, stop begging, Charming. It's unbecoming._

"Hey." Emma said drawing her attention. Her fingers starting stroking the cat's sleek fur. "Just do it so he can get out and we can get back to our cuddle session."

Regina's ears perked up at that and her tail started moving at an embarrassing speed. _Really?_ Then her ears laid down and she narrowed her eyes at the blonde Sheriff. _Who says I want to cuddle with you? I, for one, am not the cuddling type. I am strong and independent. I don't need to snuggle with you. I-_

 _Oh, who am I kidding?_

She looked up at Emma with those big eyes and she could see the blonde's heart melting. "That's it." Emma said, "Dad, hand me the phone." She made a grabby motion with her hand.

David frowned but handed it over. She held it up to the cat's face. The cat tilted her head adorably. "Just like that." She snapped the picture and the cat remained still. She smiled at the perfect picture with the most adorable face on. The hat was overkill. She scratched the cat's back. "So cute." She muttered and handed the phone back to her father. "Send me that."

"You got it." David said smiling at the picture. "I'll send it to Snow as well."

The cat rolled her eyes. _You owe me, Swan._

Emma laughed. "What? you look really adorable."

The cat huffed and Emma smiled with a shake of her head.

David watched the pair for a while with a smile. "So... we're going to get started on those fliers." He said pocketing his phone. "We'll leave the two of you to it." He tickled under the cat's chin and she let him.

 _To what?_

Emma nodded. The man started for the exit with Philip behind him. "Later guys." She called behind them. They mumbled their goodbyes as they slipped out.

"My dad is..." Emma trailed off. She tapped the bridge of the hat with her finger and chuckled when her hand was swatted away. "Anyway," she leaned back and kicked her feet up again. "Come here." She said opening her arms to the cat who just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

 _You adorable idiot... ugh..._

Emma tapped under her furry chin and grinned. The cat glared, clearly unhappy with the teasing. The blonde held her hands up in surrender. "Sorry."

"Please come sit with me?" She asked turning on her best puppy dog face. The cat tilted her head questionly.

 _I'm the animal here and yet, you're the one giving me the puppy eyes. Only you, Emma Swan. Only you._

Despite being a cat, Regina found the puppy dog face to be extremely adorable and caved. She jumped down from the desk and onto Emma's stomach.

"Thank you." Emma said, she reached up and pulled the strap loose and removed the hat. Now Regina was only left in the collar that she had on since the day before.

The cat simply looked at the blonde. She yawned and stretched. Man, being a cat is exhausting. She was tired ninety percent of the time and wanted to do nothing but sleep.

She pushed and pulled on the material of Emma's shirt a few times before laying down. Emma's hand went back to her head and started petting behind her ear. She leaned into the touch. Emma didn't comment, instead continued on. The cat yawned again.

"Wow that was a big one." Emma chuckled. "Is someone sleepy?"

 _You do realize that I am not a cat, correct? Please do not turn into your mother._

Emma stretched. "A nap does sound good right about now..."

Regina sat up and gave her look.

"What? There's nothing going on in town. Besides, my phone is in my pocket. My walkie is on my desk and so is the phone." She pointed to the objects. "We're fine."

Regina rolled her eyes and laid down on her front paws.

 _You're lucky that you're one of the few people I actually like in this town or you'd be out of a job._

She curled up again but this time the softness of Emma's body, warmth and comforting scent made it difficult to fight off the tiredness and within a moment she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Emma smiled to herself before drifting off as well.

* * *

That's how they spent most of their day. Napping. Emma waking up and snacking or playing games on her phone. The cat slept through most of the morning though.

Just as Emma had suspected, nothing happened, especially with the guys on patrol. Everything was safe. A perfect 'napping on the job' day, in Emma's opinion.

When Emma woke up from her second nap, she found two takeout bags from Granny's on her desk. She smiled when she realized that her father had left them. She shook Regina awake. The cat looked at her, blinking sleepily and it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. "My dad brought food." She announced and the cat just continued to look at her with a bored expression.

Emma snorted and opened the bags to find a burger and fries and a plain chicken salad, clearly for the cat. He was so thoughtful like that.

Emma sat their food in front of each them and they both ate quietly. Regina appearing not to care for the chicken alone with nothing on it and Emma watching the finicky cat in amusement.

"Honestly... if i didn't know any better I'd say all cats are secretly people. I mean..." Emma wiped her mouth with the napkin and placed it on the now empty wrapper that her burger was once in. The cat looked up at her. "You know because all cats act like people. They're smart, neat and incredibly sassy. It's like they aren't animals at all."

The cat just looked at her for a long time and Emma laughed. "but I don't exactly know a lot about pets, since I've never really had one." She muttered. "Unless you count some of my old boyfriends."

 _Yep, I heard you were engaged to a monkey... The winged type..._

"...but..." Emma continued. She's always confided in Regina, she still felt the same relief in doing so but the difference is that the mayor could no longer provide any of her wisdom. "Yeah, if I had to think of an animal to compare you to I'd definitely say a cat."

 _Lion_. Regina corrected.

"Or a lioness." Emma added thoughtfully. "Definitely a Lioness."

 _That's my girl._ Regina said in agreement.

"Especially your fierceness whenever you're protecting Henry... or me." She added the last part more softly but with Regina's very sensitive ears, she heard it. Emma cleared her throat at the look of surprise on the cat's face. "... it's almost like a lioness protecting her family." Her eyes darted away from the cat but Regina continued to watch on in awe.

 _Emma knows that I care about her. That she's important to me. That I... wait... She knows that I care about her! No, no, no. What does she think of that? Is that why she's refusing to looking at me? How I managed to make a complete fool of myself just sitting here, I will never understand.. maybe Emma is rubbing off on me after all..._

Emma must've saw the look of panic in Regina's eyes because before Regina could berate herself further she felt Emma's hand (well fingers rather) on her paw. She offered the cat a smile when she looked up at her, that took the small feline's breath away.

 _Get it together, Regina._

"If you're a Lioness then so am I. We protect each other and our clan."

 _Pride, Emma. It's called a 'pride' but yes._

"...our family..." Emma trailed off.

 _Our? Family? Emma?_

The cat's eyes were wide with curiosity. _Did she say 'our family'? There's an us? What have I missed? Was I really asleep for that long?_

Emma sighed and hung her head. Looking back up she gave the cat a sad smile. "This really isn't the best time to discuss this since you can't exactly talk back."

 _Yes, well..._

Emma sighed again and ran a hand over her face. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Something that Emma often does when something is weighing on her and she needs to push it back. Now Regina was very curious. What exactly was Emma trying _not_ to say?

She tilted her head as if asking 'whats going on?'

Emma shook her head and waved it off. "Nothing."

Regina glared at Emma. _You can't just say all those things and act as if it never happened, Emma. What's wrong with you? No scratch that. You have your parent's DNA, so the answer to that is many things..._

"Regina, I think we should discuss this when you're... well, aren't furry."

Regina rolled her eyes. _Oh my goodness, Emma!_

"I know, I know. I'm acting weird." She shook her head again. "But anyway..."

Regina huffed and they both fell silent. Regina giving up for now but she will press Enna when she was a human again. That's for sure.

 _Okay, you get over now, Swan but don't get too comfortable._

Regina couldn't help the yawn that escaped her. _Why am I always tired? Ugh._

Emma smirked. "Oh, am I boring you?"

 _No but you certainly are confusing me and I do not like to not know what's going on so you better start making sense._ She simply gave the blonde human a look. Emma groaned and ran her fingers through her hair.

Why did Regina find that sound so sexy? _Since when do I find Emma Swan sexy? What is happening, Regina? Rein it in._

They stared at each other for a long time before Emma blew out a breath. "I'm making this weird, right?"

 _Just complicated._ She shook her head regardless.

Emma nodded and stroked the back of the cat's head. Regina's eyes slipped closed. "Thanks for always being so understanding, your majesty." She chuckled at the last part.

 _You're welcome, even though, I don't understand any of this..._ but she just nodded anyway.

Emma suddenly shot to her feet and Regina instantly missed her touch. She looked up at her, a look of surprise on her face. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Regina gave her a bored look and she laughed. "Come on. We can't sleep all day."

 _Speak for yourself. I'm a cat and you're supposedly the town's Sheriff. Sleeping on the job... we're going to have a serious discussion about this... I can't believe I'm paying you to-_

She was cut off by Emma scooping her into her arms. She huffed. Emma just held her head to her chest and stroked her cheek with her thumb. "Come on. The air will do us both good and maybe we can be productive for the rest of the day."

 _There you go with that 'we' again._

Emma started to carry her out of the office and out into the front of the station, Regina took a look around. It was an utter mess. Books and papers everywhere.

 _This is why you never get your paperwork to me on time because you can never find it in this junkyard._ In all honesty, she was surprised Emma's personal office was so neat. _Maybe because she never does any work in it..._

They walked out of the station and onto the street. As soon as they stepped into the midday spring sun, Regina wanted to just run back inside and nap some more but then again... she was in strong arms, pressed against a soft yet firm chest, so perhaps she could just nap there...

 _Oh my god, what is wrong with me?!_

Either way, that dream was squashed when she was placed in a patch of grass on the sidewalk. She felt the soft, prickly blades under her paws and she instantly just wanted to just jump back into Emma's arms. She looked up at the blonde who was smiling down at her with her hands in the back pockets of her skinny jeans.

 _What are you doing? Don't put me on the filthy ground. Hold me!_

Emma continued to smile at the cat. "See, this is nice." She demonstrated this by dramatically inhaling some of the fresh air.

 _No. Pick me up!_

Emma fell silent and Regina continued to watch her. She could see her wheels turning. "Hey, Regina." The cat just looked at her, confused. Emma pointed behind her. Regina turned to see a large orange tabby coming up behind her.

She glared at him as he got closer. He seemed very curious about the new cat in his territory. He got closer and Regina bristled up. Her fur standing up on her back. Her ears laid back and her eyes narrowed.

 _Don't take another step._

Of course he couldn't hear her so he continued on. She felt her anger rising at him disobeying her. She lowered her body close to the ground.

 _I said, 'do not come any closer'._

She could no longer contain her anger as he inched even closer. She hissed at him, her fangs bared. The sound startling Emma slightly.

"Gina..." She tried gently but the cat inside of Regina didn't hear her. She was too focused on the nosey cat invading her space.

 _Okay, I see I'm going to have to remove you myself._

The cat leaned in to sniff Regina and Emma covered her mouth to muffle her laugh at the completely scandalized look on the black cat's face. "Buddy, I wouldn't do that if-" before she could finish the sentence, Regina raised her paw and hit the orange cat on the head a couple of times at rapid fire speed. That seemded to convey the message loud and clear because after a look of pure shock, the other cat ran off.

 _That's it, hit the dirt, fleabag._ Regina thought, not even caring to see how far away he was. She sat back down and looked up at Emma. The blonde simply smirked and shook her head. Clearly amused.

"That's was kind of mean, you know?" Emma said. "He was only trying to say hello." Regina just looked at her, blinking, completely not amused. "Oh come on, the two of you would have had some adorable, Halloween colored kittens."

Regina's glare was scorching. Emma raised her hands in surrender as she laughed. "I'm kidding."

 _Keep it up._

Emma cleared her throat. "Sorry."

Regina rolled her eyes. _Take me inside now?_ She walked over to Emma and put her front paws on her leg, looked up at her and put on her best kitten face.

Emma grinned down at her her. "You want me to pick you up?" She leaned down to do exactly that but a voice from behind her stopped her.

"Good afternoon, Emma." Emma turned to see Archie Hopper and his companion Pongo standing behind her. She smiled politely.

"Hey Archie."

"How is everything?" He asked kindly.

"Pretty good. It's been pretty peaceful around here so that helps."

He nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

Emma smiled. "Yeah. It's nice."

"How's everyone?" He asked suddenly.

"Great actually." Emma replied with a shrug.

 _Move along, Bug._ Regina thought from her place hidden behind Emma's legs.

She shifted uncomfortably and that seemed to catch Pongo's eye. The dog moved around Emma, undetected and his eyes widened when he saw the cat. Regina gave him a disinterested look.

He leaned in more and sniffed her. Regina's eyes widened in realization. He's a dog and I'm a damn cat.

 _Uh... Emma?_

The dog sniffed her a little longer, she leaned back. His head alone was almost bigger than her entire body.

He pulled back with a snarl.

 _Be a good boy, Pongo and please do not eat me._

He started to growl but neither Emma nor Hopper seemed to notice since they were so into their conversation.

 _Remember when I baked you those homemade dog biscuits?_

He continued to growl and she backed up a little but he moved closer. His longer legs making him move faster.

 _Oh no..._ Regina doesn't usually panic but she was at that moment.

He leaned in more, she moved back a little more until she was backed against the wall of the sheriff station. She was trapped. Her wide eyes darting around for a way of escape. She could feel his breath on her face and in all honesty, the smell was foul. He opened his mouth and barked loudly and aggressively. Almost angrily. Regina jumped three feet into the air. Her tail fluffing out and her fur standing up on end.

That seemed to catch the humans' attention. They both turned to the scene just when Pongo snapped at her.

Her eyes were wide open and her chest was heaving. The dog pulled on the leash and Archie wasn't quick enough. Pongo yanked the leash from the man's hand. Regina jumped in the air again and took off.

She made a quick decision darted off down the street. Instinct guiding her. Her small paws hit the hard ground but the only thing on her mind was escaping this threat. She could hear Pongo's barks and growls behind her getting closer.

Her small legs continued to pump as her eyes darted around looking for a place to hide. She heard Emma behind her and she knew that Emma would do everything to protect her but from the sound of her voice, she was too far away. Regina was on her own with this one.

 _God, please don't let me die in the body of a cat._

As they made it down the block, zig zagging down the sidewalk, her tiny heart racing, she finally saw it...

A safe haven.

As she reached the tall tree, she didn't hesitate, trusting instinct as she jumped onto the rough bark and dug her claws into it. She climbed up higher, narrowly escaping Pongo's jaws. The powerful snap of it could be heard as she continued to climb up until she reached the third highest branch. Stopping and hopping on to the tree limb, she looked down.

Pongo had his paws on the trunk of the tree, using it to stand on two legs, barking away. She tried to catch her breath. Now, she knew what it meant when they say your whole life flashes before your eyes when you have a near death experience.

Having had many of those. It had never really happened until now.

 _I'll remember this, Pongo. Too bad Cruella isn't around anymore. She clearly missed one._

She tried to slow down her racing heartbeat.

Emma finally caught up. She looked slightly winded as she cupped a hand over her brow and looked up. She sighed in relief and placed a hand on her chest, over her heart.

"Stay right there." Emma called up.

 _Not a problem... I don't plan on ever coming down..._

Eventually Archie caught up. He grabbed Pongo's leash and began apologizing to Emma repeatedly. _She must've told him the story during their jog over... well the fabricated story. That I'm a missing cat._

Emma nodded at the man and clapped him on the shoulder.

 _Why on earth are you apologizing to her? I'm the one that was almost maimed. Stupid insect._

The man bid Emma goodbye with another apology that Emma accepted with a smile then was on his way. Emma watched them go to make sure they were far away enough for Pongo to no longer be a threat. She turned back to the cat. "Ready to come down?"

Regina shook her head. _Nope._

Emma smiled. "It's okay. Come on down."

Regina sighed. Still slightly shook up by her near death experience. Who would have thought a mangy mutt could frazzle the ex Evil Queen?

She walked over to the trunk and looked at it. _Let's see here..._ She eyed it for a moment then looked down at the sheriff who was watching her with her hands on her hips.

Regina turned back to the tree trying to contemplate a way of getting down. She drew a blank and when she looked at the ground again, she panicked. She's not even afraid of heights.

 _That drop._ She thought feeling the world spin as a sudden wave of dizziness overcame her. She closed her eyes and willed the black and white world to stop spinning.

"Hey!" Emma called up. Regina looked down at her. Her eyes wide and frightened and she saw Emma's eyes widen in return. "Whats wrong?"

 _Oh nothing, I'm just relaxing in the shade... what do you think, Emma?! I'm stuck!_

Emma panicked as she watched the fear in the cat's eyes. She could count the times she's seen fear in Regina's eyes and that only included times that Henry or Emma herself were in danger. This was serious. Emma hung her head and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. "You're stuck." She mumbled. She looked up at the cat again. She didn't move, she was frozen in place.

Emma had her answer.

Emma dug into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. "Don't move okay?"

 _Don't worry. I won't..._

Emma put her phone to ear. "Hey Dad, we have a problem..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. :)**

 **Okay, so I saw a few suggestions for Regina to get chased by a dog and I just had to. lol. I hope I delivered.**

 **I'm thinking of a having a few special guest appearances as well. But first let's get Regina out of that damn tree.**

 **Please review. See ya at the next update.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Regina watched Emma pacing the sidewalk down below her, while she herself walked the length of the tree branch in which she was stuck on. How'd her life come to this? She still wasn't quite sure but she assumed it had something to do with a night in late october when her son brought his birth mother back to Storybrooke...

Emma kept looking down the street in search of her father's cop car and would sigh in frustration when she didn't see any sign of it. She cast a worried glance up at the tree. Regina stopped her pacing and looked down at Emma, meeting her eyes as best as she could at that particular angle.

"I'm really sorry." Emma called up. "But I promise, my dad'll be here soon and we'll figure out what to do..."

The cat nodded. _I know, Emma..._

Emma blew out a breath then started pacing again, her hands shoved in her pockets and a tense look on her face. She looked so worried and... guilty? Why would she feel guilty? She couldn't have possibly known that any of that would have happened. That was completely out of her hands but knowing Emma Swan, she was finding a way to blame herself.

 _Heroes..._ Regina scoffed internally.

Regina just wished she could tell her that she was fine. Well.. She was alive. That no harm had been done and that Pongo would be hearing from her once she was back to her human self...

So focused on _her_ Emma, she hadn't heard the rustling of something settling beside her on the branch. It made a small animals-like 'chittering' sound, finally catching her attention and out of the corner of her eye, she saw pointy ears and light brown fur. She instantly panicked. She slowly turned her head and looked over. A small squirrel stared up at her with those beady black eyes. She let out a small shriek and jumped a few feet into the air, she had no idea what she was even afraid of. It was just a squirrel. She saw them all the time but she still reacted.

On her way down, she almost missed the branch but caught herself with her front paws. Her small legs dangling in the air as they struggled to catch onto the branch as well. She heard Emma gasp and call out to her. She rolled her eyes and held on for dear life.

 _Shut up, you idiot. I need to focus on not dying and I cannot do that with all of your panicking._

Regina's heart was in her throat at this point and her tiny chest was heaving frantically. She quickly calmed herself and focused all of her attention on using her surprisingly abundant upper body strength to pull herself back up. She took a deep breath and pulled, lifting herself up until she was safely back onto the branch. Settling down with as much poise as possible, she looked over at the squirrel which was still standing there, watching her with curious eyes.

 _Get away from me, you disgusting rat. Isn't it bad enough that you almost caused my death?_

It continued to just stare at her.

She sighed as she stood up, she knew that she was going to have to do this the hard way. She turned to face the critter full on. It looked startled slightly at her sudden attention. She crouched low and pulled her ears back then hissed sharply. It was the other animal's turn to jump high into the air. It landed back onto the branch and it's eyes were wide and it's entire body was shaking.

 _Not so fun when it's you, now is it?_

In response, the squirrel leapt up again, landing on top of her head then jumped up onto the branch above her. She growled and looked up but the animal had already scurried away.

She heard Emma calling up to her, asking if she was okay. She simply looked at the blonde with an expression that said 'what the hell do you think?'

Emma sighed. "Just hang in there."

 _It seems like 'hanging around' is all I will be doing today..._

They heard a little 'bloop, bloop'. They both looked over to see the patrol car pull up. As soon as it came to a stop Emma ran over to it. David stepped out and before he could do or say anything, his daughter ambushed him, talking animatedly as she explained what had happened. He nodded as his daughter led him over to the tree, rubbing his chin in thought as he listened. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she seemed to have relaxed instantly. He whispered something that Regina couldn't hear exactly and Emma nodded, much calmer now.

David looked up at the tree and shook his head when he saw the cat.

 _Oh great, the calvary has arrived, I'm saved..._ Regina thought sarcastically.

Philip jogged up to them and looked up as well. "Should we call the fire department?" He asked.

 _Sure, make this even more humiliating for me. That seems to be the norm of my life for the past few days._

David shook his head. "Nah. I got this..." He turned to the younger man. "Go grab me a ladder."

Regina sighed. _Oh no. He's going to climb up here and end up killing us both._

Philip nodded and ran back towards the station. Charming turned back to his daughter. "I'll grab her and everything will be okay." Emma nodded. She still looked stressed but a little better.

 _'Grab' me and see what happens._

A moment later, Philip reappeared with the ladder. He and Emma placed it up against the tree. Without hesitation, Charming went over to it and began to climb. The old metal squeaked and clanked under David's weight.

 _Oh god, it's going to collapse under his weight and kill all of us!_

"I used to climb trees as a boy." David explained as he continued his way up the ladder. Regina rolled her eyes but Emma seemed sincerely interested.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah." The man said. "I grew up on a farm but you knew that."

"I did."

"I didn't." Philip cut in.

David chuckled. "Yeah well, I worked on a farm."

"Then how did you become a prince?" The other Prince asked.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." David said. "But during my very limited free time as a boy. I used to climb trees. We had this huge one on our land... I used to climb it and stay up there as long as I could. I used to believe I could see the whole world from there."

Emma smiled at her father. She enjoyed when her parents told her little tidbits from their lives that didn't include their battles with villains and heroic efforts. But little things like stories of when they were children were nice. It made them seem like normal parents and made her feel like a regular person... not the savior or the daughter of two famous fairytale characters, or a light witch that managed to turn her best friend and baby mama (who happens to also be an infamous fairytale character) into a cat but instead she felt... well... normal.

David easily reached the branch that the cat was perched on before running out of ladder. He looked at her and she looked at him. "Hey girl." He said with a smile. "Remember me? Your ole pal, David?"

 _'Pal'? Reaching kinda high there, aren't you?_

"I'm just going to get you and take you back to Emma, okay?"

 _Emma?_

"Just stay still and let me get a hold of you. I don't want to drop you."

 _You better not drop me._

David reached over for her but he froze and looked down. "Tell her not to scratch me, Emma."

 _Okay, Charming make this quick. I'd like to get down from here. I haven't gone to the bathroom all day._

"It's okay." She heard Emma call up to her. She looked down at her. The blonde offered a sweet smile. With a bored expression, Regina turned back to Charming.

"Just let me..." His large hand reached over and Regina eyed it warily. It disappeared behind her head.

 _What on earth are you- Oh..._

She felt his hand gather up the fur and skin on the back of her neck then lift her. Her legs instantly curled up and she made herself into a ball. For some odd reason she couldn't move.

 _Careful, you big oaf._

It didn't hurt necessarily. It wasn't pleasant either. It was a strange feeling, one that she couldn't describe. She knows that she didn't like it though but she really hated the fact that she couldn't control her own body. She was curled up into a tiny black ball and she was stuck that way for the time being.

Which wasn't for very long because he brought her to his chest and held her there, releasing her scruff. He began to climb down with her secured tightly against his body. It didn't feel the same as it did when Emma held her like that. She wasn't sure if it was the lack of cushion that Emma's chest usually provided or his scent was different or if it was simply because he was wasn't her. Either way she wanted him to hurry up so that she could get to Emma.

The trip down appeared to be faster than it was up. When they finally reached the ground without any accidents, she let out the breath she hadn't even realize she'd been holding.

David walked over to a very antsy Emma and handed the cat over with a smile.

"Come here." Emma muttered as she quickly gathered the small fluffball into her arms and held her tight. A little too tight.

 _Emma, you're crushing me..._

The blonde continued to squeeze as she stroked her head. Philip stepped a little closer to examine her. "Is she okay?" He asked.

"Think so..." Emma replied.

 _Not for long because you're squishing the life out of me..._

 _Emma!_

The cat started squirming in her arms and Emma got the message. "Sorry." She muttered and loosened her grip. Regina sighed.

 _That's better._

She snuggled closer to Emma's chest. That felt so much better.

"How's she doing?" Charming asked as he walked back over to them.

"Good." Emma said with a shrug. "I guess. She doesn't look injured and she's not behaving like she is. Just a little scared."

 _I don't get 'scared' okay. I was simply... worried..._

"I'm glad she didn't get hurt." He said as he scratched the cat's head. Regina was too tired to even fight off the contact.

Emma nodded. "Me too." She sighed. She held the cat closer. "Thank you again for all of your help, Dad." She turned to Philip too. "And yours. I really appreciate it."

"No problem." Both men said.

She smiled tiredly. "I think I'm going to get her home. It's been a... trying day for her." Emma wasn't going to admit that she was a bit on edge herself. Regina had way too many close calls for one day.

"Yeah that might be best." David said squeezing her shoulder. He offered her a reassuring smile. "We can take it from here."

"Thank you." She said. David nodded. She turned to leave but Philip scratched the cat's head and mumbled something about 'sorry and tomorrow will be better'. Emma smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder before heading back towards the station.

They walked to the parking space where Emma left her bug. Emma was quiet and Regina was trying desperately to get ahold of her own emotions. They were all over the place. She was antsy and nervous and she usually lashed out when she was scared but being in Emma's arms kept her calm. It was as if she was meant to be there. Not while she in the body of a cat but...

 _No! Don't be ridiculous. You've had a near death experience. You aren't thinking straight. Get it together!_

"I'm really sorry about all this." Emma said as they got closer to the bug. "I wasn't thinking... and you almost got hurt. I'm supposed to be keeping you safe and you almost got eaten by a Dalmatian." She sighed. "I would totally understand if you hated me right now."

Regina lifted her head from Emma's chest. Her heart was beating so quickly that it was practically vibrating in her sensitive ears. She stared into Emma's eyes. Those kind green orbs were staring straight ahead. She was nibbling on her bottom lip. Regina could tell that she was beating herself up over what had just happened. Regina couldn't let that go on.

She placed a paw on Emma's hand and Emma looked down at her with a look of confusion. Regina just continued to gaze into her eyes, trying to convey her message though body language alone. Emma seemed to get it because she relaxed slightly and smiled. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time. I'm just really glad you're okay."

Regina nodded and rested her furry cheek back against Emma's chest. They continued to the car in silence.

Emma opened the car one handedly, placed Regina inside and strapped her in then shut the door and jogged around to the driver's side and got in herself. She was relieved that they had a few hours before Snow and Henry got home. Neal was home but he was with Granny so they would have a few moments to themselves. They could both really use the peace and quiet.

Starting the car, they headed back towards the loft. Hopefully where they could get just that.

* * *

Emma poked her head inside the apartment and frowned when she saw Granny sitting on the couch with Neal. The woman was humming a song to him and rocking him in her arms as she watched some court show. The cat was still secure in Emma's arms and when Emma looked down at her, she noticed her watching her with curious eyes.

"Granny's in there with Neal." Emma explained. The cat rolled her eyes. "Exactly..." She sighed. "Let's just be pleasant. That'll allow us to get upstairs quicker."

Without hearing or seeing any protests from the cat, Emma pushed the door open the rest of the way. Granny looked over in their direction and Emma smiled. The older woman smiled back but the smile fell away and was replaced with a look of worry.

"Emma." She said worriedly. "What are you doing home so early? Everything okay?"

Emma nodded quickly. "Yeah. Sure. Just feeling a little under the weather so my dad told me he'll take it from there."

The older woman nodded. Neal had drifted off for his nap and Granny stood up. "Do you need anything?"

Emma shook her head immediately. "No. Thanks though."

Granny walked towards Emma and gently placed a hand on her forehead. After a moment, she pulled her hand away and patted Emma's cheek. "At least you aren't running a fever."

"I just think I'm tired." Emma concluded.

Regina made a soft snorting sound. _Right. I bet thats it._

The sound drew Granny's attention and she looked dowm at that cat. She leaned in a little closer. She looked into the cat's eyes and Regina could have sworn that she saw something akin to recognition in the older woman's eyes.

"This kitty has some very familiar eyes." She noted. "They're very... there's so much emotion in them." She tilted her head. "Almost human."

Emma laughed nervously and it took everything inside of Regina not to scratch her. She was making this suspicious. _Cut it out, Emma. Keep calm._

"That's crazy.. " Emma said awkwardly. "It's just a cat."

"I know... but those eyes." The older woman shrugged. "You're right." She tickled under the cat's chin. The cat's eyes closed. "She's such a cutie."

Emma smiled. "She is."

The cat's eyes popped open at that. What was that she heard in Emma's voice... was it adoration? Admiration? _No, that's crazy. Everyone thinks cats are cute._

Granny chuckled. "I'm going to put your brother down for his nap." Emma nodded. "You go on upstairs and take one yourself."

"Okay." Emma smiled. Granny patted her cheek again before turning and continuing on to the crib. Emma immediately darted up the stairs to her room.

Once inside, she locked the door and sat Regina down onto the bed and sat down beside her. They stared at each other for a moment. Emma not knowing what to say and Regina not being able to say anything.

The silence wasn't awkward. It was actually quite comforting. Deciding to take Granny's advice about a nap, Emma stood up silently and started undressing but only stripped down to her tank top and underwear. By the time Regina opened her eyes again, Emma was sliding into the bed, under the blankets.

"I was serious about us just relaxing." Emma said opening her arms and making a grabby motion with her hands. "Come here." Regina just gave her a look and Emma raised brow. "Don't make me come get you." She said in a teasing tone.

Regina tilted her head. Emma made a quick movement like she was coming to get her and Regina jumped back. Emma snorted. "Come on."

Regina shook her head and started walking over to Emma. It was a battle trying to keep her excitement hidden. Just the thought of cuddling with Emma made her almost forget that she had a hell of a day. Once she leapt into Emma's lap. It was all washed away. None of it mattered anymore.

She both loved and hated how Emma could take away all of the horrible things in both her human and cat life and replace it with nothing but good.

Emma laid back with a heavy sigh. "God, today was just... I thought I was going to..." She groaned. "I'm glad you're okay."

Regina could hear the pain in Emma's voice. _And we're back to this..._ She thought. She walked up Emma's body and settled onto her chest. She looked up into her face. There was worry and pain all across it. She placed a paw on her chin. Their eyes met and Regina tilted her head.

 _Stop beating yourself up. Things happen and I'm in one piece.. for now..._

Emma reached up and started petting the cat absently. She tilted her head, guiding Emma to the place behind her ear. Emma chuckled and obliged. "There." She said. Regina sighed in contentment. Sure she was going to hate herself later but she almost died barely even an hour ago, she deserved to enjoy this.

"You should get some rest " Emma said gently. Regina purred in response.

She wasn't quite sure but she did feel a little tired. Dead tired at that. Getting chased by dogs, running up trees, getting stuck in said trees, and almost falling out of it was quite exhausting.

Emma continued to stroke her furry back. Combing her fingers through the fluffy fur as she spoke quietly. "Henry should be home soon."

 _Henry?_ Regina's ears shot straight up and her tail started moving up and down excitedly.

"Wow. I wish you got this excited when you see me..." Emma muttered. Her brows shot up and her hand flew up to her mouth. "Oh my god. Did I say that out loud." Regina nodded. "Oh god." Emma sounded like she was in agony. She laid back onto the bed. "Did I really... ugh." She groaned. She covered her eyes with her arm. "Just pretend I never said that."

 _For now..._ Regina thought as she rested her chin back down on her front paws and continued to watch Emma. _But once I'm back in my body, you and I are going to discuss all of this. Don't think you're getting away with any of those statements._

 _And move your arm so I can see you..._

As if she was reading her mind, Emma removed her arm and glanced down at the cat that was watching her quietly.

 _There. That's better._

She looked up into Emma's eyes and hated that she could no longer see color because she missed that beautiful shade green.

She sighed. _Fine._

She yawned and stretched a little. Her eyelids started drooping. She could feel herself being pulled into sleep.

With Emma's fingers gently running through her fur, her own gentle purring, and overall tiredness, she drifted off to sleep in a matter of seconds.

* * *

She awoke to the sound of hushed voices whispering. It took her a moment to realize that she could no longer feel or hear Emma's heartbeat and she now laying on a pillow instead of the woman's chest. Slightly put out by this, she peeked one eye open. Then turned her ear to listen into the conversation.

"...Grandpa had to get her down?" She heard what sounded like Henry's voice ask.

"Yep, she's been through a lot so I think we should take it easy on her tonight..."

"Right." Henry agreed. "Can I play with her?"

"If she wants to..." Emma said and Regina could hear the shrug in her voice. "Dont push her, okay?"

"Awesome." Henry said excitedly.

Regina stretched and yawned, ready for some attention from her son. She stood up then stretched her front legs again.

"She's awake." She heard Henry whisper.

"I see, kid." Emma chuckled.

Henry and Emma were standing at the foot of the bed, watching her. Regina headed straight for Henry. His hand instantly shot out and he started petting her.

 _I've missed you._

She rubbed her head against his hand and he chuckled. "She is pretty cute."

"I know, right?" Emma chuckled. "She's beautiful."

Henry smiled at her and Regina's heart swelled. Those smiles were special and so rare and she absolutely adored them. "Okay." He said to the cat. "I got a few things for you here."

He began pulling things out of his pocket. She noticed some items already lying on the bed. One of which was a red stick with a string attached to it and at the end of the string was a blue feather. The other was a small container with a picture of a cat on it, Regina deduced that it was cat treats. There was no way she was eating those but she appreciated the thought. There was also a stuffed mouse.

Henry sat down three small fluffy balls. A small silver mouse shaped thing that Regina wasn't quite sure what it was and another ball, that he gave a little shake and it gave off a tinkling sound. She tilted her head.

 _Okay that one sounds fun._ She headed for that but Henry picked up the small, silver colored mouse thing. She looked up at him and he grinned wide.

 _Sweetie, I know you might want to play with me because I look like a cat but I'm not actually a cat so don't be disappointed when I-_

Her eyes widened and she froze when a glowing (black in her eyes) red dot appeared on the wall by the bedroom door. _What the hell is that?_

She leapt down from the bed and walked over to it without taking her eyes off of it. She got closer to it and leaned in to sniff it, it didn't smell like much but when she went to touch it, it moved. She looked around for it confused. _What kind of magic is this?_

She looked back at Emma with an expression that said, 'can you believe this?' The blonde was simply smirking. Regina rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the wall. The dot reappeared a few inches from where she was standing. She went over to but before she get close enough it moved back to where she was before.

She huffed and turned back to the two humans. They were both just sitting there, watching her with amused expressions and she just tilted her head in confusion. _What was happening? Why am I so impressed by this thing? What's wrong with me?!_

She saw Henry lift the little silver thing in his hand and direct it at the wall. She turned back and saw the dot had returned. That's when it clicked. She looked back at Henry then over at Emma who just crossed her arms and raised her brows.

 _Oh..._

 _No, nope. I'm not doing this. I am a queen and bit more refined. I refuse to-_

The light reappeared in front of her and started moving back and forth. She lunged for it. Covering it with her tiny paws.

 _Ha! caught you!_

She leaned in closer and lifted one paw and then the other. She huffed when she revealed nothing. It was gone. _Where'd it go?_ She looked up at Henry.

He stage gasped. "It got away? Where'd it go?"

 _I don't know. That's why I'm looking at you._

Now the human in her knew that it was just a laser pointer but the cat in her which was overpowering everything else at the moment did not.

The light reappeared but started moving quickly around the room in quick circles and squiggles. She continued to run after it until it shot up the wall.

 _Oh no you don't._

She tried to jump up the wall but slid down. It wiggled up there before coming down close enough to catch but darted away.

 _Oh just wait until I catch you._

It came down lower and she jumped up and covered it with her paws again.

 _Gotcha!_

She opened her paws and it was gone again. She growled in frustration.

She heard the sound of laughter behind her and turned to see Henry doubled over laughing until his face turned red.

 _Oh yeah, just stand over there and laugh. Don't help me... I'm fine._

She looked over at Emma who just shook her head and nodded towards Henry. He was still trying to catch his breath.

 _Oh... I'm on to you, Mister._ She thought as she went over and hopped onto the bed. She tilted her head at Henry. _And you better have finished your homework._

* * *

After dinner Henry sat on the floor in the middle of the living room as everyone else crowded on the couch in front of the tv. Regina stood before him waiting patiently. She and Henry had played with about every toy he had purchased for her. Her favorite so far was the fluffy balls. They were just so soft and she wanted to eat them but every time she would try, Emma would stop her. She would roll her eyes and continue playing.

This toy was different and she was excited. Mostly because she was spending time with Henry. She had all of his attention and she was reveling in it.

She partially hated how her inner cat was overpowering her human mind but she couldn't care at that moment. All that mattered in that moment was Henry. He made it worth it.

"This..." Henry said dramatically as he held up the stick with the string and the feather. "Is an awesome cat toy. The guy in the pet shop said you'd love it."

 _But did you tell him that I was actually your mother cursed by your other mother?_

He held up the stick and let the feather dangle in front of Regina's face for a moment. The cat's eyes blew wide and she froze in place as she watched the feather swing from side to side as if Henry was trying to hypnotize her.

 _I have no idea why this is so fascinating but it is._

She reached up and hit it and Henry chuckled. Then he started wriggling it all around. She reached her small paw up and slapped it again. He moved it over to one side, she reached for it and missed. He moved it to the other side and she missed again. He let it circle around and she tried to catch it but it disappeared.

 _Where'd it go?_ She looked up at Henry and he shrugged. She looked back behind herself and all over the place. And nothing. She looked off to the side and sighed in happy excitement.

 _There you are._ She said to the feather wriggling beside her thigh. She moved so that she could catch it but it moved behind her, she walked around in a circle but it still stayed behind her. Not one to be defeated so easily, she chased it around and around in a circle. It just felt like the more she chased it, the further out of reach it became.

 _Will you come here!_ She let out a tiny grunt as her little paws continued to miss the feather. _You're quick. I'll give you that but I'm smarter._

She chased it around and around and around until she felt the room spinning. She almost fell over but Henry caught her.

 _Thank you, dear._

The dizziness finally faded away. Using her kitty-like stealth, she pounced on it. _Caught ya!_ She held it down with her paws. _Now I'm going to-_

 _Wait, who is on my tail?_

She turned around and she didn't even see her tail. She shot up but didn't get far because the pressure on the tip of her tail was keeping her down.

 _Damnit!_

 _What the hell is going on?_ She released the feather and stood up. That's when she realized it wasn't a feather at all. The small bushy thingy wiggled.

 _Oh god. It was my tail. I was chasing my own tail. Oh my god!_

She looked back at Henry who was grinning at her. He dangled the toy in front of her. She shook her head. _You are so grounded when I'm back to normal, young man._

* * *

"Mom, can't this wait til tomorrow?" Emma whined as she sat on the couch with her little brother in her lap. Henry sat between her and David with the cat in his lap.

"Mema sleepy, mama." Neal added matter of factly. Emma found it so cute how he called her 'Mema'.

"Thanks Kid." Emma said tickling his sides. He giggled pushing her hands away.

Snow smiled at her children. "No. It's just a cat naming. It should take five minutes tops."

Emma scoffed. "'A cat naming'? Mom, do you even hear yourself? You're making it into a big thing as if we're naming the royal cat."

"She is the royal cat, Emma." Snow pointed out.

"For now." David added.

"Yes, for now." Snow agreed. "Anyway, come on," she said enthusiastically as she handed everyone a small piece of paper. "Write down the name you want to call her."

Emma rolled her eyes and accepted the slip of paper. She took the pen that her father offered her as he muttered, "things have been kind of quiet around here and she's bored. Just let her have this."

Emma sighed and quickly jotted down her idea for a name. She asked Neal for his and he whispered it to her. She chuckled as she jotted it down on the other piece. She tried to peek over Henry's shoulder to see what he was choosing but when he caught her peeking, he used the cat as a shield and covered the paper with his hand.

Emma snorted. "Fine, be that way.' She simply rolled his eyes.

David was the last to finish writing. He gave Snow a nod and she came around with a bowl. Everyone dropped their pieces of paper in, Snow did so last.

Emma still found it amusing how her parents made everything so dramatic. Everything somehow always became a big theatrical production with them. She never knew that naming a cat could be such a big deal.

Snow smiled as she shook up the bowl, shuffling the slips of paper. When she felt they were mixed up enough, she pushed the bowl towards Neal. "Okay sweetie. Choose a piece of paper."

Neal grinned wide and dug his tiny hand in. It came back out with a slip of paper. He handed it to mother. Snow smiled. "Thank you, honey." The baby looked very pleased with himself. Emma patted him on the back.

Snow cleared her throat. "Okay." She said reading the slip of paper. She smiled at the name. _Oh boy,_ Emma thought. "The name that was chosen was 'Bella'. Who submitted that name?"

"Me." Henry said with a huge grin.

"Excellent. I like it. It fits her." Snow said with a huge smile. She placed it back into the bowl. "Bella it is."

"Nice job, kid." Emma said placing a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Your grandma, probably wanted to call her something like Daffodil..."

"Daisy.. actually." Snow cut in.

Emma snorted. "Okay, well I was close."

Snow rolled her eyes. "The other submissions were..." She said going through the papers. "Pancakes," she looked up, "Really David?" She asked. The man simply shrugged. She shook her head. "Kit Kat." She smiled at Neal. "And Baby girl." She sighed. "Really Emma? You couldn't have been more creative?"

Emma shrugged. "It fits her." She found it hilarious that everyone in this family was going completely insane over a cat's name when the cat who isn't even really a cat already had a name. Then again she found it funny thinking of how Snow White would react if she discovered that the cat was actually Regina the entire time... She chuckled to herself.

Snow sighed and shook her head. "I like Bella and she seems to as well." She motioned to the cat who was rubbing her cheek on Henry's hand. Emma laughed. Even in this form she wants all of Henry's attention.

"I like Bella. It suits her." David spoke up.

"I agree." Emma said with a firm nod.

Snow returned it. "Great." She clapped her hands together. "The cat has a lovely name, we have to get up early and it's late. What do you say we all turn in?"

"I couldn't agree more." Emma said getting to her feet. Henry handed her the cat. "Time for bed." She told him as she tucked the cat under her arm.

He nodded and stood to his feet, stretching. "Okay." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He did the same to the cat and Regina and Emma both thought it was adorable. "Good night, everyone." He said heading off to bed.

"Night, Heny." They all said. Regina just watched him go.

"Well." Emma said, "I'm heading off to bed. Night." She said before jogging towards the stairs.

"Night." She heard them all call back as she headed upstairs.

* * *

She didn't even bother to look up from where she was lying in the center of Emma's bed, at the sound of the door opening and closing. She was too immersed in the soft, stuffed, catnip bear Henry had given her. She was rubbing her little furry cheeks on it and cuddling it close to her little chest.

"Honestly, I'm a little jealous." Emma teased as she crossed her room. "You used to cuddle me like that." Her hair was still wet from her shower and she was wrapped in a towel. She looked over at the cat that still hadn't acknowledged her presence. "Sheesh, maybe I should just stuff myself with catnip."

The cat's ears perked up at that and she looked up from her teddy bear. The blonde had her back to her as she was pulling out clothes to wear to bed.

"I mean, have I been replaced?" She asked as she dropped her towel. Regina instantly hid her face in the bear's stuffed tummy as Emma stood before her in the nude unabashedly. It took everything in her not to peek. She just stayed focused on her bear. She shamelessly nuzzled its tummy with her nose. It smelled so good. She wanted to just eat it. "You can look now." The blonde announced.

Regina looked up at Emma then returned to nuzzling the stuffed animal. Emma sighed and flopped on to the bed, causing Regina to bounce a little bit. She looked over at Emma and found her laying on her back with her hand behind her head, staring up at the ceiling.

With a heavy sigh and an eye roll, Regina took a good long look at her stuffed animal, trying to figure out a way to move it so that she could keep it and snuggle with Emma. She thought it over and started to channel the cat inside of her. That's how she figured it out. She stood up and hovered over the bear, she leaned down and opened her jaws then closed them around the bear's arm, picking it up in her mouth. She looked up at Emma then jumped up on to her stomach.

She walked up to her chest and laid down. Emma's hand instantly went to her back and started stroking. This was getting way too familiar to them but for some reason she didn't ever want it to stop.

"Oh you remembered me?" Emma teased.

Regina rolled her eyes. _Idiot._

Emma chuckled sleepily and stuffed the bear under the cat's paw. "There."

The cat just snuggled more against her. "Good. Tomorrow will be a better day. I promise."

She sat up and looked Emma in the face. They just stared at each other then Regina nodded.

 _I know, Emma. I know._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please review.**

 **Someone asked if Regina could chase her tail and there you have it. I hope it was as fun to read as it was for me to write.**

 **The cat inside of Regina is overpowering her, especially with her irrational fears of things sneaking up on her and how irresistible she finds those cat toys.**

 **Lol. Anyway. Thanks again for following, faving and reviewing. It means a lot.**

 **See ya at the next update.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: really quick thanks for following and reviewing. Also for everyone who was wondering why no one has checked up on Regina, this chapter discusses that a little. (I mean, not really but it's mentioned. Emma's a terrible liar) but I've even come to call this chapter "where's Regina" lol.**

 **Mentions of DQ. Nothing romantic but... you'll see what I mean...**

 **Well, I own nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sorry for mistakes.**

 **Enjoy.**

Chapter 5

Emma stalked downstarirs with the cat tucked under one arm and the stuffed bear in the other hand. This morning she woke up to the sight of Regina tucked into her side with her back to her as she cuddled that bear. Emma immediately confiscated it until she got some sort of attention from the little furball. Once she felt like she received a proper good morning, she returned the cat's property.

Emma was trying to get as many cuddles as possible before the curse was over and Regina went back to being... well... not so cuddly.

She wasn't exactly sure how much longer this spell would last but they needed to figure out something quick because their son had been asking questions. Emma wasn't exactly sure how long she could lie to him. He was so much like her and Regina. Henry could smell a lie coming before they could even think one up. Emma knew she was on thin ice.

"Hey," The subject of her thoughts said as soon as she entered the kitchen. She walked over to where he was seated at the kitchen island with a bowl of cereal in front of him. She could practically feel Regina judging her for allowing him to eat cereal instead of making him a proper breakfast.

At least she doesn't know of all the times Emma had allowed him to have donuts for breakfast.

"Morning Kid," Emma said, settling into the seat next to him. Before she could say anything else, her mother hijacked the cat from her arms.

"Good morning, Emma." Snow said holding the cat against her shoulder as she walked over to the counter. Emma watched the cat go, she was peeking over Snow's shoulder with a yearning look in her eyes. Emma frowned at the cat's sadness but it deepened even further when she realized that the cat was looking at the stuffed bear and not even her.

She let out a grumpy huff and started making her own bowl of cereal. She hated that she was jealous of a stuffed animal. She doubted the real Regina even liked stuffed animals... or did she? Nah, but she might. Under that tough exterior might be someone who likes soft snuggly things. Emma herself was a snuggly thing that was soft in all the right places. In fact, cuddling was one of her favorite things... so, once Regina was back to a human and she still wanted to- Emma winced. Was that seriously going through her head? Cuddling Regina? God, she needed to sort out her feelings.

Emma watched as Snow sat the cat on the floor and went about fixing the cat's breakfast. A bowl of Snow's special cream as usual. The cat never complained and really seemed to like it, so the woman kept making it.

"Mom," Henry said pulling Emma's attention. She looked over at him as she pulled her coffee mug towards her. Her parents always sat her things out for breakfast like she's six. She thought all of that would have ceased when they had Neal but since then it actually had only gotten worse. Now they behave as if they have two babies.

"What's up, Henry?" She asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She preferred hot chocolate but this morning definitely called for coffee.

"I've been calling Mom again." He said softly and Emma instantly flinched. She tried to keep her expression neutral as she turned to him. "And she's not answering. I know you said she needed a break and stuff but it's not like her to not talk to me..."

Emma frowned at his worried eyes. Henry often worried about his mother. She had a feeling that Henry wasn't exactly going to let the story go of Regina taking some time for herself. Henry was very intuitive and he knew something was up.

She blew out a breath. She felt Henry's hand on her arm. She looked up at him, he furrowed his brows and she knew he had been talking but she had zoned out. She shook herself out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, have you seen my mom or heard from her?" He asked, his eyes wide. Emma froze and she noticed his frown deepen. She could see him panicking.

"Give her a minute, Henry. She's tired. She's taking a little break while you're here with me." Emma said dryly.

Henry gave Emma a look. "Aren't you worried about her?"

"I'm always worried about her..."

"Well you aren't acting like it." Henry said dryly.

"What?"

"You're acting like you don't even care." He pressed. "Like she doesn't even matter."

"I do care. She means so much to me, you have no idea." She blurted. Henry's brows shot up and his mouth fell open as he just stared at her. She didn't exactly realize what she had said until she took a good look at her son. She froze as well as he stared back at her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking for something to say that would cover up her confession.

She just told her son that she loved his mother... well not in those words but to Henry, a child who had seen love and understood it better than most boys his age and who could sense true love like an oncoming storm, it sounded like 'love'. Emma wasn't exactly sure what she felt for Regina but she did know that the woman was important to her and whatever those feelings were, they were strong.

She rubbed a hand over her face to regroup and to remind herself that she was the adult in the situation. "Henry, I meant that your mom is an important part of our lives. She takes care of us and we take care of her. We're family." Henry didn't look any less shocked so she continued. "Because we're both your moms and we love you."

Henry's brows came together. He was trying to make sense of it. "And because she's your best friend?" Emma recognized that look. It's one she makes herself when she asks a question that she already knows the answer to, in order to see if the person would try to lie but in this case, she knew exactly what he thought he knew. She simply nodded.

"Yep." She said firmly. He looked at her for a long time as if giving her time to say something else but when she didn't, he sighed and shook his head. "I'm sure, your mom is fine, Henry."

"What, your Regina senses aren't tingling?" David joked, entering the room with Neal trailing behind him. The little boy was clutching his stuffed animal to his chest with a thumb in his mouth. She smiled at her brother then when she realized what David had said, Emma's eyes snapped to her father and her glare was scorching. The man was completely oblivious to how close he was to death and continued on, "You know because you always know when somethings up with Regina..."

Emma glared at her father and opened her mouth to say something snappy but was cut off by her mother. "Oh right, I haven't seen Regina in a while. I called her on Saturday to check in but she didn't answer. Do you think she's okay?"

"She's fine." Emma and David both said at the same time. She tried to ignore Henry drilling a hole in the side of her head.

"Regina's entitled to have a life that doesn't include us." David pointed out. "Henry's with us so maybe she's out... enjoying life."

"My mom doesn't _enjoy life_." Henry made quotations marks with his hands at the last part. "She worries about me constantly and she works. That's who she is."

David shrugged. "Maybe she's evolving."

Snow and Henry both gave him a look then turned back to Emma. "Can you please go by my house and check on her?" Henry pleaded. Emma sighed.

"Henry... I told you-"

"Yeah so prove me wrong. Prove she's okay." Henry said seriously.

"And if she's not there, I'm sure you'll find her." David said.

Emma frowned. "We're not you guys... we can't always find each other."

"But you always manage to..." Snow argued.

"Yeah that's because this town is the size of smurf village." Emma deadpanned.

Snow sighed. "Emma..."

"Fine." Emma said throwing her arms up. "I'll go stalk Regina for you guys."

Snow nodded satisfied and David sighed. "You should go before coming to the station."

"Couldn't agree more." Emma said.

"Thanks mom." Henry said before turning back to his breakfast.

"No problem, Henry." Emma said turning back to her own bowl and beginning to pour the milk in. "Now can I please eat my breakfast? I'm starving."

Everyone grumbled and went in different directions. Emma sighed and let her head fall forward and thump the table. This is getting ridiculous.

* * *

Instead of going to Regina's house Emma decided to just go to the vault. She had a plan. Emma cradled the cat in her arms and walked through the mausoleum. She hadn't bothered to lock up. Partially because she knew that no one would dare invade Regina's personal space and because she had simply forgotten. It was difficult to remember something like that when you're carrying a cat that is actually your best friend.

"We're going to grab your phone." Emma said as they descended the stairs. "There's a program that I've used before as a bailbonds person. I can send texts from your phone number and receive texts from your phone on my own or my laptop."

As they reached the bottom step. She headed back towards the scene of the disaster in the center of the dimly lit room. She never understood why Regina insisted on this room being so Dracula's lair-ish. It gives Emma the creeps.

She sat Regina down on the floor as she squatted down in front of the pile of Regina's clothes that were left after Regina's transformation. She felt around in the woman's pockets and pulled out the BlackBerry.

"Yes." She said.

She looked down at it and powered it on. Luckily it hadn't died yet. The only plus about older phones, the battery life. A screen came on. A picture of herself and Henry filled the screen and Emma smiled. Regina had a picture of her on her phone? Her heart swelled. Regina really did care for her. She cleared her throat and shook herself out of her stupor. She showed the screen to the cat who was watching her with her head tilted slightly.

"I remember when we took this." Emma said. "We took Henry to get ice cream when he passed his science test." The cat nodded. "He was so happy but I think he was happiest about the fact that all three of us were together." She smiled to herself. "Just the three of us. The way it's supposed to be."

Regina's eyes widened and Emma furrowed her brows at the cat's expression. She looked behind herself to see if there was something behind her and was met with an empty space. She turned back around to look at the cat which still had her head tilted watching her with a curious expression.

"What?" She asked with a shrug. Regina still stared at her. "I mean, I don't know why you're looking at me like that. All I said was that you and me and Henry had fun that time we all went to get ice cream and-" she face palmed. "A whole bunch of other weird shit." She mumbled in realization as she rubbed her palm over her face. She couldn't stop the word vomit today. She wasn't exactly sure why. "What's wrong with me today?"

She felt something on her knee, she looked down and saw a small black paw there. She looked into those wide brown eyes and instantly felt better. She could tell that Regina wasn't judging her. Regina would never judge her. That's one of the reasons she trusts Regina so much. She understands her and what she doesn't, she tries to. She always tries to make Emma feel comfortable and safe.

She tapped the cat's nose with her finger. The cat shook it off and wiped at her nose with her paw. Emma chuckled. "Act like you don't like it all you want but I can tell that you do." The cat glared at her and Emma's grin grew. "You are so cute." She wasn't quite sure if she was talking about the cat or Regina in general. Feeling like she was being weird again, she cleared her throat and stood up.

"We should hide your clothes. Wouldn't want someone to come in, find them and think something happened to you. Well... something worse than this..." She said as she gathered them up. "And by someone, I mean Henry."

She looked down at the cat and she nodded. Emma began scanning the room for a hiding place. "He's worried about you. He needs to just hear from you." her eyes landed on a trunk and she walked over to it. She dumped the clothes inside, missing Regina's glare.

She walked back to Regina and picked her up, cradling her in her arms, so that the cat was on her back and looking up at her. She felt those eyes watching her. "Let's get to work." She held Regina close against her and started heading for the stairs.

"Oh and can you not bring up any of the weird shit I've said..." She laughed at the cat's eye roll. "I'm sorry but I'm... just." She sighed. "You can be really difficult, you know that?"

The cat gave her nothing but a bored expression. Emma chuckled as she shook her head.

* * *

Emma had her feet kicked up on the desk as Regina laid in the center of it, snuggled up with her new friend. Emma watched the two of them with a slight scowl on her face. That annoying little brown bear was getting on her last nerve. She sat there, glaring at its small black eyes, contemplating it's demise. She decided the quickest and most efficient way is to take it while Regina was sleeping and pretend like she was going to _wash_ it and destroy it.

Maybe take her sword to it or hang it up and shoot at it a couple of times... that thing was a menace.

Sure, watching the black cat snuggling the teddy bear was the cutest thing she's ever seen. Sure, it made her heart squeeze as she watched Regina rubbing her furry cheeks against the toy. Emma just missed when she was in its place and hated that she felt jealousy towards an inanimate object, which is exactly why it had to go.

She sighed and ran a hand over her face. Realizing that the bear wasn't going anywhere any time soon, Emma turned back to her phone and went back to guiding her glowing red worm around the black background, avoiding other worms that wanted to eat her while she gobbled up glowing multicolored dots. Her worm, which she named 'The Sheriff' was pretty large and she was even on the leader board. She was pretty proud of it. But her worm's size made it a target so she kept barely escaping enemies. She didn't plan on dying until she reached number one on the leader board.

If she made it that far, she was going to screenshot it and send it to Henry.

"Can we get a nap in today?" Emma asked as she glanced up at the cat. To her surprise, the cat was already watching her. "Or do I have to set that thing on fire?" She grumbled under her breath.

Regina cuddled it closer to her chest. _I heard that. If you do so much as touch him you will get these claws, Emma Swan._ She narrowed her eyes at Emma in warning. _How dare you threaten him!_

Now the bear didn't smell as good or feel as good as Emma but for some reason she couldn't put it down. She was drawn to it. She loved it. It was as if she was addicted. The toy gave her a high that she never wanted to come down from and when she was away from it, that's all she thought about.

For example, in that instant she didn't care how she looked sitting on Emma's desk, snuggling a stuffed bear. All that mattered was the doll itself and the treat inside.

Emma huffed and returned to her game. "Fine." She grumbled. "Act like your best friend doesn't exist."

Regina looked up at Emma and regarded her pouting face. She found that amusing and adorable. Emma Swan was every bit of a puppy. She wanted attention and apparently she was going to pout until she got it.

 _You big baby._ Regina thought as she huffed.

Regina picked her new friend up, carrying it in her mouth as she jumped off of the desk and onto Emma's stomach. Emma made a dramatic 'oomph' sound as if Regina were heavy and the cat stopped and gave her a scathing look.

 _All of this poofy-ness is just fur, Miss Swan! So watch it!_

Emma chuckled at the cat's offended expression. "Oh, come on. I was only teasing."

 _Keep it up and me and this lovely stuffed thing will leave right now._

Before she could do anything, Emma's arms covered her and hugged her tight. "Stop being so cranky." The blonde murmured as she pulled the cat up to her chest. She put her nose in the cat's soft fur an inhaled. "You still smell like strawberries." She muttered.

Regina popped her head up and gave Emma a warning look. "What?" Emma whined. "You do!" She chuckled.

 _Keep it up, Emma. Keep it up._

"I'm sorry." Emma said burying her nose back into the cat's fur and nuzzling her neck. The cat's eyes slipped closed.

 _That feels nice... less talking and more of... that._

"God, you're so fluffy and soft." Emma said into the cat's fur, giving her a squeeze. "I can just-"

She fell silent and they both sat up at the sound of someone walking down the hall of the station. It was odd because they hadn't even heard the front door opening or closing.

Assuming it was her father, Emma relaxed and so did the cat. Well, that was until they heard heels clicking across the floor, they both froze again. Emma looked back at Regina because she was already there and she's the only person that Emma knows of that wore heels that sounded that sexy and uncomfortable. The sound grew closer and Regina jumped out of Emma's lap and onto the desk as they anticipated their guest.

A moment passed before they caught sight of a light gray material and blonde hair. Emma sighed deeply. She did not have time for this shit.

Emma tensed instantly when the blonde dragon entered her office without knocking, like she owned the place.

"Sheriff, I would like to report a missing person." Maleficent announced as she stepped into the office. Emma looked at her with a confused expression. She missed the cat's eyes grow to the size of saucers. "I was told that I could do that and you heroes..." She said the last word as if it tasted terrible. "...would run around and locate them."

"Is Lily okay?" Emma asked gesturing to a seat in front of her desk. Maleficent shook her head and settled into the seat gracefully, crossing a long leg over the other. Emma took her feet down from the desk and adjusted her posture.

"Its not Lily. She's fine actually." Maleficent said smoothing down her skirt. Emma furrowed her brows.

"So who's-"

"Regina." Maleficent said cutting Emma off. "She and I had plans on Saturday evening and she never showed. It's not like her to not let me know before she cancels." She shrugged. "I thought something happened with your boy but she would have mentioned that... I paid a visit to her home a little after ten last night and she wasn't there. Which you may know, that isn't like her either..." She waited for Emma to nod for her to continue and she did. "So I went by her office this morning and she wasn't there either... once again, not like her."

Emma stared at Maleficent then looked over at Regina who was watching Maleficent with her furry head tilted adorably. Emma cleared her throat pulling the cat's attention. Regina and Maleficent had plans Saturday night? What does that even mean? What kind of plans?

No, she can't focus on this. This is trying to keep her and Regina's little secret a secret. She had to lie like a rug.

She combed her fingers through her hair. "You had plans Saturday, you say?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant and judging by the fact that she received a raised brow from the other blonde, she knew it wasn't working. She cleared her throat again. "And what exactly did the two of you have planned?"

Regina glared at Emma.

"Oh, just a few drinks at that bar. Nothing big. She's helping me to get accustomed to this world and-"

"Like a date?"

"I don't see what that-"

Emma shrugged and grinned smugly. "Well it's just that when someone goes missing, usually the significant other is the first suspect."

Maleficent raised her brows. "You think I did something to her?"

"Well you are a dragon and there was that whole thing with Aurora...and Philip..."

Regina rolled her eyes.

Maleficent's eyes flashed with anger then she calmed herself, reminding herself that Regina actually likes this... woman. "I did not hurt her. I would never."

"So you say..." Emma said tapping her fingers on the desk. "When's the last time you've spoken to her?" At this pointing she was asking just to be nosy.

"Friday morning."

"What happened?"

Maleficent sighed. "She called to ask if I needed anything. What does this-"

"These questions are strictly to help me locate Regina..."

Maleficent huffed and crossed her arms. "Well speed it up. Something could have happened to her."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, we all can't fly, now can we?" She tilted her head. "Why didn't you just use a locator spell?"

"If I could do that, do you think I would be here?" The older blonde snapped. "I dont have anything that belongs to her."

"Oh I thought an almighty sorceress like yourself, could bend the rules a little." Emma said simply. She shrugged. "My bad."

 _Easy Mal_. Regina thought as she watched the older blonde grow tense.

"I smell her all over this room, you know?" Maleficent pointed out dryly. "All on your clothes... everywhere..."

Emma gulped and looked at the cat. "What do you mean?"

Maleficent smirked and relaxed, leaning back in her chair. "That means she's been all over you, Saviour." She chuckled. "And I mean, pressed up against you, on top of you, under you..."

Emma flinched and her eyes darted to the cat who just gave her a look. _Well, you messed with the dragon and now you get the fire._

"Um... I.. uh... um..."

"I... I..." Maleficent mocked. "Listen, Sheriff. I don't care that Regina was sitting in your lap." She saw how Emma's cheeks colored a deep crimson and if Regina could have blushed, she would have as well. "I just want to know if my friend is okay and if I have to kill someone."

"You do know that I'm the sheriff, right?"

Maleficent shrugged. "Anyway, the thing that amazes me is that Regina's scent is so strong in here. It's like she's still here... she smells so close."

Emma cleared her throat and her eyes darted to Regina and the cat sighed. "She's fine..." Emma said quickly. Maleficent followed Emma's line of sight. For the first time since she's entered the room, she noticed the fluffy creature. She looked back at Emma who was apparently having a silent conversation with it. She stayed quiet as she watched the pair a moment longer. The cat rolled her eyes and shook her head. That's when it clicked.

Maleficent made a kissing sound at the cat. Her ears shot up, she looked over at Maleficent and their eyes met. The dragon gasped. Those eyes. Those eyes, they belonged to... "Regina?" She asked, the cat's eyes grew wide. "It's you, isn't it?" The cat looked over at a very panicked Emma then back to Maleficent and nodded. "Can't you turn yourself back?" The cat shook her head. "Why not?" She asked, turning her questions to Emma.

The sheriff looked panicked by the whole thing. She cleared her throat. Maleficent found them out. But she should have known that she couldn't keep something like that from a powerful witch like her. "I um..." She sighed. "Cursed her by accident."

Maleficent's eyes snapped from where she was admiring the cat up to Emma's. Her brows came down and she pursed her lips. "How do you _accidentally_ curse someone?"

"When you aren't paying attention when you're being taught how to shape shift..." Emma said awkwardly. Maleficent sighed and it sounded more like like a growl.

"What are we going to do with you, Swan?"

 _I ask that on a daily bases, Mal._

"I bet you do, Regina." Maleficent sighed. Stroking the cat's head, combing her fingers through the cat's fur and Emma suddenly felt a raging course of jealousy rush through her.

"Wait, she's talking to you?"

"Not really." Maleficent said simply. "She's thinking and I'm merely listening in." She shrugged. "It's comes from years, upon years of studying shape shifting and all types of magic involving animals in general."

Emma nodded. Feeling the jealousy even more. "What's she saying now?"

"Nothing..." Mal said. She scratched behind Regina's ear. The cat purred. Emma growled internally but calmed herself.

"Is there a way to turn her back? I know the spell is temporary but can we speed it up?"

Maleficent smiled at the cat that was rubbing her fuzzy cheeks against the dragon's fingers. "No. It has to run its course..." the sorceress explained. "It's just the way it goes..."

Emma nodded and bit her lip as she watched Regina continue to let Maleficent pet her. "You know... She act's like a cat sometimes..." She gestured to the black cat that was now purring softly, giving Maleficent all of her attention. "Should I be concerned?"

"Because she is a cat." Maleficent said simply. "Just as when I'm a dragon or that pretty little waitress takes her true form as a wolf. The animal is wild, it doesn't hold back, it's free.. as a result it tends to consume the human part of us and takes over. We become the animal."

Emma nodded, taking in this information. "So I should keep treating her like a cat?"

Maleficent hummed the affirmative. "Yes." She let the cat nuzzle her. "I have one question..." Emma looked up at her. "Why a cat and not a lion?"

Emma chuckled. "Can you imagine a lion walking through Storybrooke? The chaos that would create."

Maleficent nodded with an amused expression. "That definitely would be something."

"I'm glad that we just have a cat." Emma said with a small chuckle. "I can barely handle that and my family."

"I can imagine."

Both blondes fell silent. Regina's purrs filled the room.

Emma sighed and looked at the cat then back up at Maleficent. "I need a favor."

* * *

After Maleficent had left, Regina and Emma had lunch and their post lunch nap and their post nap snack, which consisted of a bear claw for Emma and plain yogurt for Regina then it was time for their post snack nap. They were wide awake now and Emma was sitting at her desk, watching an old episode of Grimm on her laptop.

"This show is hella dark." She said glancing up at Regina who looked over at the sound of her voice. "I mean... damn. I'm just glad that the fairytale characters in our world aren't like this..." She trailed off... "I remember this show I used to watch with Henry when he was a baby..." She trailed off again. "Well, in the memories you gave me... anyway, there were all these little animated fairytale characters and they would get together, try to solve other fairytale character's problems and save the day." Regina was watching her curiously now. "I mean, I didn't know then but I do now, it's basically a show about us..."

Regina was beyond amused at this point. _There should be a show about us, honestly..._

 _But anyway, put that silly thing away and pay attention to me._ She got up from where she was laying, in the middle of the desk. Stuffed animal long forgotten and went over to Emma's laptop. She walked across the keys and laid down on them. Emma wasn't the slightest bit annoyed. She simply chuckled as the cat turned over onto her back, exposing her fluffy tummy.

Getting the hint, Emma instantly began scratching her tummy gently. Regina sighed at the sensation and gaining Emma's attention so easily. Emma's magic fingers moved through her fur so softly, she didn't even know when the purring started up nor did she even care.

She was unable to move anyway, she was on cloud nine and she had no intention of going anywhere. Her eyes slipped closed.

"Hey, let me ask you something." Emma said causing Regina's eyes to pop open.

 _No Emma, please, shut up and just move your hand over there... right there. Oh that's nice._ And as soon as her eyes slipped closed again Emma started talking again. _For the love of..._

"You and Maleficent..." Emma began. Regina sighed and rolled onto her side. She gave Emma a very annoyed look. "I mean, are you guys..." Emma gestured with her hands and Regina rolled her eyes. Emma should be scratching her with those fingers and she's not. "You know..."

She blinked. _No I don't know but speed this up and get back to it._

Emma sighed again. "Are you guys... together?" She whispered the last part. Regina's eyes widened.

She stood and looked Emma straight in the face. After a moment, she shook her head. _Of course not, you idiot._ She saw relief wash over Emma's face and that's when it clicked. _Emma Swan, are you... jealous!_ She smirked internally. _You are... but why?_

Regina was extremely confused. Emma was making all of these odd statements, wanting to cuddle all of the time and now jealousy... She had no idea what was going on inside of Emma's head but she planned to find out soon.

"Good." Emma sighed and scooped Regina up into her arms.

 _Why?_

She was held close to Emma's chest and she nuzzled Emma's neck, smelling her. Emma was slowly becoming her favorite scent in the whole world. She was going to blame that on the cat part of her. If her human side felt that way, Emma would probably think she was a creepy pervert and she certainly was not. It was certainly the cat.

 _Ugh, why do you have to smell so good, You adorable.. ugh?!_ She looked up at Emma's face. _And why do you have to have those insanely cute dimples and why are you the most precious human being I have ever encountered besides our son?_

 _And why can't I stop thinking these things?_

She sighed and snuggled closer to Emma, despite herself. She decided to enjoy herself for now, give herself a break.

They'd deal with other things later. Her pride being one of them and another being Maleficent knowing their little secret, which isn't exactly a problem. If their secret is safe with anyone, it's her. So that moves them forward to their last probelm. Henry.

He needed to hear from Regina. She just hoped that Emma's plan would work out and give him some peace of mind. Whether it was fake hope or not. She couldn't bear him worrying about her.

Once again, these are all problems they'll deal with later. For now she was going to enjoy her time with Emma.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Please review.**

 **It's always a pleasure, Maleficent. *bows***

 **Oh and before I go, Regina will be turned back soon, I promise. I just can't say how soon. Honestly this story is about her time as a cat. This is a swan queen story. They will get to sort out their feelings but for now, Regina and Emma are going to have a few more things to deal with while Regina is still a cat. lol. Just bear with me.**

 **See ya at the next update. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Emma opened the front door and entered her apartment. Henry and Snow were already home. Henry was sitting at the island doing his homework while Snow appeared to be fixing a cup of tea. Emma made sure to angle Regina so that she could see their son sitting quietly doing his homework, as if to say 'see I don't let him run amuck when he's with me'. She chuckled when the cat looked satisfied and kicked the door closed. Her mother and son turned to her and she smiled at them.

"Hey Emma," Snow said with a smile. "How was your day?"

"Eh..." She shrugged. She placed Regina down on the couch. "It was work..."

"Were there any incidents?" Snow asked, referring to the previous day.

Emma shook her head. "Nope. It was a nice quiet day."

"Okay good." Snow looked relieved.

Emma hummed as she pulled her long sleeved tee off, leaving herself in a tanktop. Regina found herself staring at Emma's arms and appreciating the view very much despite her internal battle.

Emma threw the shirt down on the couch and headed into the kitchen, completely unaware that it landed on Regina's head. Regina growled.

 _Rude_. She thought, shaking the shirt off of her head. _But that... smells so good._ She sniffed the shirt. _Yep. Emma Swan, you delicious smelling creature._ She rubbed her furry cheek on it then smell it again. _Yep just add a little bit of me on there._ She sniffed it again. _Ooooh that's nice._

At this point she was rubbing her entire body on it. Fur was all over it and so was Regina's scent. It blended nicely with Emma's and she considered _her_ Emma marked.

Content with this, she decided to just lay on it. She stretched her paws out in front of her and yawned. _My goodness, I'm so tired._ She crossed her paws and rested her chin on them. She yawned again and felt her eyes getting heavy. She could hear Henry, Snow and Emma chatting in the kitchen. It was mostly about Snow's day and that's not exactly a topic she was interested in so it seemed like an appropriate time for a nap.

Her eyelids slipped lower and she began to let sleep take her.

That of course didn't last long before David barged in and her eyes sprung open. "Hey guys." He greeted loudly as he entered. The cat looked over at him with a bored expression then laid her head back down on her paws. Everyone greeted him with cheerful voices.

"So," He began, shrugging out of his jacket. "We still haven't gotten any calls about the cat but its only been a day since we've put them up..." he continued as he hung it up.

"I feel horrible because I still hope no one claims her." Snow sighed.

"Maybe she is a stray." Emma pointed out.

Regina snorted mentally.

"Or her owners put her out." Henry added. Everyone turned to him. "What?" He shrugged. "People do it all the time. Just toss their pets out. Maybe we're her only family."

Snow nodded sadly. "That is true. People do that quite often. So there's a possibility that no one would claim her?"

Emma hummed. "Yep. You'll get to keep her, mom."

Snow smiled wide and Regina rolled her eyes.

"I just find it odd that she was so clean when Em found her and-" Regina didn't hear the rest of David's words because they faded out as she looked up and saw his ass hovering right above her. She panicked as it lowered closer to her. He would definitely squish her.

She watched with wide eyes as he got closer, in a split second decision, she ran off to the side before he could sit on her. She scrambled to the opposite side of the couch and looked at him with wide eyes as images of her near death experience flashed before her eyes. A tight denim clad nightmare...

If she could clutch a hand to her chest she would have. Her chest was heaving in and out as she tried to catch her breath from the fear. David seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing.

 _Good thing you have no idea that you almost killed me! I mean, seriously, Charming._

The rest of the family began chatting away as David leaned over, grabbed the remote and flicked on the tv. Regina was still glaring at him and he still hadn't noticed.

"What do you want for dinner?" Snow asked in general. Henry started throwing out suggestions.

David looked over and that's when he noticed the cat for the first time since he'd gotten home. He smiled at her and the cat just continued to glare. "Hey there, Bella." The cat rolled her eyes. He chuckled as he patted his lap. "Come on over here, girl."

She tilted her head. _Why? So you can use me as a seat cushion?_

"Here girl!" He made a kissing sound, similar to the one Maleficent had made earlier but for some reason it was very offensive when he did it. "Here kitty."

 _No, you great buffoon, you almost killed me a minute ago._

Giving up, the man chuckled and turned back to the t.v. putting on some ball game. Regina was still glaring at the man when she was suddenly lifted into the air. She panicked slightly, squirming. Her tail instantly went between her legs. She was freaking out. She wanted to be put back down, she wanted to walk on her own. She needed to...

She was hugged tight. She didn't smell Snow White or Emma so it must have been Henry! She relaxed and let him hold her.

She looked up into the face of her son. He was scratching the side of her face as he sat on the couch with her in his lap. David looked over and grinned before scratching the cat's head. Regina let him because there was nothing else she could do. She wanted to get down but then again, she would have to leave Henry and she didn't want that so she tolerated it.

"Can we watch a movie?" Henry asked, looking up at his grandfather with hope in his eyes. The man smiled.

 _Your homework had better be finished, Mister._

As if reading her mind, Emma jumped in. "Homework?"

"Done." Henry said with a grin that was one hundred percent Emma.

"It is." Snow said. She turned Henry's binder so she could have a better look at it. She nodded. "He's good to go."

Emma shrugged. "Okay, go for it."

Henry cheered and sat the cat down beside him and Regina couldn't help but feel offended. He quickly ran over and put in a movie.

"Nice. I like this one." David said as the DVD menu for 'The Amazing Spiderman' came on the screen. Regina rolled her eyes, bored.

She felt the couch dip behind her and she was pulled backwards. She started to panick again but like with Henry, she smelled Emma and relaxed instantly.

"Eh," Emma said petting the cat slowly. "It's okay but I liked the other Spiderman movies better." David and Henry gave her a look. "What?"

 _Oh boy, here we go._

"How?" Henry asked slowly. "How could you?"

Emma shrugged. "I liked it."

Regina sighed and rubbed her head against Emma's chin. She was completely disinterested in the conversation, she just wanted Emma's attention since the blonde had confiscated her snuggly bear. She still wanted that back by the way.

She turned around a few times in Emma's lap, trying to get comfortable and laid down with her back pressed against Emma's stomach. She felt a hand slowly stroking her fur again as the movie began.

She didn't know how long she sat like that but she was pretty sure that she had fallen asleep before the movie actually started.

* * *

Regina and Emma sat on Emma's bed. Emma was sitting up with her back against the headboard with her laptop in her lap. Regina's front paws were rested on her thigh, using her to stand a little so she could watch the screen as Emma tapped away on the keyboard.

Emma had a plug plugged into the laptop, ready to connect it to Regina's phone. For the first time, she tried to press a button on it and immediately frowned when she saw a keypad on the screen asking for a password. Emma sighed as she continued to stare at the wallpaper behind the keypad. She looked over at Regina who looked up at her apologetically.

 _Sorry_.

Emma sighed again and fell silent, brain storming possible passcodes. She grinned when it finally hit her. She typed it in and chuckled when it worked. She looked over at the cat. "Really Gina?" She chuckled. "Henry's birthday? Can you get any more obvious?"

The cat shook her head. _Excuse me for using passwords that are easy to remember. You know that technology is difficult for me!_

Emma went to Regina's messages and scrolled through them. "Hen wasn't kidding. He had been trying to get ahold of you..." She frowned and plugged the phone up to the usb cord that was already inside of the computer. "Eleven messages."

She looked over at the cat that was still watching her but guilt had registered all over her face, as if she had eaten the family's goldfish.

"It's okay." Emma didn't like that face, regardless of how cute she looked with those sad eyes and her ears laid back. "He's fine. You saw him."

 _Yeah but he looked so worried at dinner when you told him you hadn't seen me..._

"Like I said, he just needs to hear from you." Emma muttered as she scratched behind the cat's ear. Regina felt her worry melt away. She tilted her head so Emma could scratch under her chin. She caught on pretty quickly and Regina lifted her chin giving her room.

 _Emma will fix this. She'll make it better. She always does._

Emma pressed some keys on the laptop with her free hand. "Okay, done... we just have to give it a minute to download."

Regina looked up at Emma's face. _So do we just sit here and wait?_

Emma minimized the window for the application and pulled up the one she had been using earlier to watch her fairytale show. Regina rolled her eyes.

Choosing to just lay down, Regina rested her head on Emma's thigh and she absently petted her as a another fairytale character murdered someone on the screen.

 _Honestly Emma... how could you watch this? How could you not find this offensive? My goodness._

"Hey," Emma said slowly as if she was thinking something through. Regina looked up at her. "Could he be real?" She gestured to the screen where Nick was questioning someone. The cat looked at the screen.

 _Why? Do you want to date him?_

She looked back at Emma. Why would that bother her? Shaking that thought away, she tilted her head in question.

"Like the Grimm brothers..." Emma asked and Regina felt a shiver course through her. She had heard stories about the Grimm brothers. They considered themselves 'executioners' and killed 'wicked' fairytale characters. She's never encountered any but she assumed that they were just a myth and she hoped that was true.

She shook her head. _I haven't encountered any and I hope it stays that way._

Emma nodded.

 _Sorry your little boyfriend is unavailable..._ Regina thought bitterly but caught herself. _Cut it out!_

Emma went back to petting her as they watched the rest of the show. Emma was very entertained and Regina was horrified. She was thankful when the computer dinged and Emma opened the window with the application again. "It's done." She looked at the screen and opened Regina's messaging program from her phone. She scrolled down to Henry's last message.

She typed out a long message explaining to Henry that 'she' was fine, was taking some time for herself and he shouldn't worry. But she hesitated before pressing send. She looked back Regina who was staring at the screen clearly anxious.

"Do you think we should just tell him?" Emma eventually asked. Regina gave her an incredulous look.

 _Is that something that you really want to tell our son, Emma?_

"I know I've already lied but maybe he'll understand. I feel horrible for lying to him and I know you do too." Emma sighed. "I know you."

 _Of course I feel horrible but we can't just..._

"We should tell him. I don't want him to keep worrying." Emma said finally. "Will you support me?"

Regina was surprised by the question and in the way Emma asked it. It was as if she really needed Regina behind her on this and she wouldn't be able to do it without her...

Regina sighed and hung her head. _Fine._ She looked back up at Emma and nodded.

"Okay." Emma said shutting the laptop. She petted the cat again. "I have to get some rest. I have a feeling that this is going to take a lot of energy..."

 _Yes well... I'll help in any that I can._

Emma laid back. She opened her arms with a grin. "Come here."

Regina shook her head and wedged herself between Emma's arm and her side. She rested her head on her chest and looked up at her. Emma hummed squeezing her. Regina began to purr involuntarily and she didn't even fight it.

Emma sighed and closed her eyes and began relax. _Okay this is nice._ Regina thought with a happy sigh of her own.

Of course like every slight moment of peace, it didn't last long as Emma's eyes sprang open. "Maleficent thinks we're sleeping together!" She all but squealed as she sat straight up in bed.

Regina looked up at Emma, the amusement was evident on her feline features. _Emma, we are sleeping together._

As if reading her mind, Emma ran a hand over her face. "Like _sleeping_ sleeping together. As in grown up playtime..."

Regina's cheeks heated. _Shut up._ She hit Emma's arm with her paw. _Idiot._

Emma frowned as she looked back at her. "What? I didn't say sex."

 _Shut up, Emma!_ She swatted Emma's arm again.

"But why would she think that?"

 _Didn't she say that you smelled like me... but honestly, I think-_

"Like is it something we did?"

 _Emma, calm down._

"I have to tell her we're not."

The cat tilted her head.

"It's not that I wouldn't want to..." Emma said quickly. "I mean, I would very much like to. Not to sound like a pervert or anything but you're really hot and gorgeous but you know it wouldn't be mostly physical. I mean, you're smart and funny and were really close and it..." Her eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth, stopping her rambling. "Oh my god."

If Regina could raise a brow she would have. _You're making me nervous- wait, did you just say you wanted to sleep with me?_

Emma's eyes met her own then Emma looked away. Her cheeks even redder than before. "Don't look at me like that. It's not like you didn't already know that everyone in this town wants to sleep with you. That's why you flaunt your body around like that and try to fluster me with those curves, those eyes and that sexy perfume you always wear."

Regina's eyes widened and she froze. _Did Emma just...?_ She tilted her head. Emma just confessed to being attracted to her. This is definitely information she wouldn't had gotten as a human but she didn't know what to do with this new information. She knew that it made her feel something in her chest. The feeling was warm... cozy.

 _Maybe it's heartburn. That chicken Snow made tonight was kind of spicy._

"Go to sleep." Emma tried to snap but it fell short as her voice cracked.

Regina was highly amused at Emma flustering herself. Now that was quite entertaining. _Testy._ She laid her head back on Emma's chest. She could hear her heart racing with her nerves. She looked up at her face and Emma had her eyes closed, purposely avoiding her gaze.

Regina chuckled mentally and closed her eyes as well. She added that to the list of things to bring up to Emma when she was human again and that list was quickly growing.

* * *

As usual Regina woke before Emma did. She busied herself looking around Emma's room for her bear which she hadn't seen since the day before. She checked everywhere she could reach and came up with nothing. She jumped back onto the bed and walked over to Emma. She contemplated waking her up.

 _You can't just confiscate my things, Emma. If you-_

She saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She slowly turned to look at it. She froze. A little blue bird sat on windowsill...

 _I suppose you're one of Snow's friends?_

 _I really want to chase you but I will not because I am royalty and royalty does not..._ She trailed off when the bird flapped its wings. _oh whatever._

She got down low with her backside high in the air. She switched it back and forth with her tail. For some reason she wanted that bird. What she wanted to do with it, well... she was unsure but she planned to catch it.

She stealthily crept to the edge of the bed. She remained crouched down watching the bird as it sang happily and shook out its feathers.

 _Oh you're mine._

She pounced at the window but realized when it was too late that it was closed. She braced herself and that's why it didn't hurt as much when she hit the glass with a loud clank, startling the bird, causing it to fly away. She then hit the floor with a loud thump, waking up Emma.

 _Goddamn it!_

The sheriff sat straight up in bed. "What the hell?" She croaked as she looked towards the sound and then down, spotting the cat. The animal looked stunned and dizzy, sprawled out on the floor. "Did you fall off?" Emma asked softly.

 _No. Did you fall out of the idiot tree and hit every branch?_ Regina thought grumpily.

Emma stretched and threw her feet over the side of the bed. She stood and stretched again then leaned over and picked the cat up and sat her back onto the bed.

"Be more careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt." Emma said softly as she stroked the cat's head.

Regina nodded. Slightly surprised by the concern in Emma's voice.

She followed Emma as she walked around the bed, picking up her laptop that was still there and went over to her bedside table.

 _Ha!_ Regina thought as she leapt onto the nightstand. _That's where you hid my bear!_ She leaned down when the drawer was pulled open and peeked inside.

She saw some things rolling around inside. Pens, make up, snacks... then the cat's eyes widened. There in the corner sat a long pink...

She looked up at Emma and saw her cheeks coloring (well to her eyes they just darkened).

 _Emma, is that a..._

They stared at each other for a moment before Emma just threw her laptop inside. "Please tell me you didn't see that..."

Regina just gave her a look.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, well... Storybrooke gets stressful sometimes and it helps me relax... you know?"

 _Hey Emma, I'm not judging._

"Besides," Emma said pushing the cat's head back and shutting the drawer. "Mind your business." She added in a joking tone. Regina shook her head.

 _Oh, Emma..._

* * *

Emma sat at her desk lazily staring at her phone as she tilted it back and forth, avoiding the horde of zombies chasing her and grabbing for her. Her score was constantly growing. Honestly that is the most excitement Emma has had all day. She narrowly escaped another wave of zombies heading towards her. She almost beat her own high score when she was suddenly grabbed and pulled down. She flinched when blood splattered across her screen. She groaned and rubbed a hand over her face. Setting her phone down, she opened her laptop. She decided to watch zombies instead of fighting them as she began to catch up on the most recent season of one of her favorite zombie shows.

She peeked around her screen at the cat who was sitting there licking her side as she bathed herself. She smirked and turned back to her show. After the idiot guy who was supposed to be 'the savior of the zombie apocalypse' caused another series of catastrophic events that the team transporting him had to clean up, Emma turned her gaze back to the cat that was currently washing her little black fluffy cheeks. The sight was quite adorable. She would lick her little paw, which looked more like a little mitten, and rub it across her face a few times before changing sides.

Emma smiled as she watched on quietly, she found it amusing that even in this form, Regina was very aware of her appearance and cared very much about the way she looked.

"You look fine." Emma finally said. The cat's eyes popped open. "You don't have to..." She gestured with her hand. "You look great. All poofy and stuff."

If Regina could raise a brow she would have. _Are you calling me fat?_

Emma saw the cat's glare and quickly tried to correct her statement. "I mean, you look very cute." She reached over and tried to touch the fur that curled on the cat's chest but her hand was swatted away. She chuckled. "Well, excuse me..." The cat started licking the fur quickly.

"Rude." Emma chuckled. "I see I can only touch you when you want me to..."

 _That's right._

"So next time you want me to pet you, I just... might not want to." Emma raised a brow.

 _Is that a threat?_

"Maybe I'll... I don't know, might feel like petting another cat or..." She grinned. "A dog."

Regina bristled. _You are venturing into very dangerous territory, Swan. Tread carefully._

"You know..." Emma leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the desk then put her hands behind her head. "A dog might actually appreciate it."

 _Keep it up, Emma Swan!_

Emma laughed. "Seriously though, I used to be a dog person but seeing you like this has actually changed my opinion." She smirked when the cat rolled her eyes. "I might get a cat when this is all over."

 _Just don't let you mother near it... or your brother._

"I mean.." She shrugged, grin still present. Regina rolled her eyes again. "Still no hug for me?"

 _No sheriff._

"How about now?" Emma asked followed by the best puppy dog face to date. It would seriously put a golden retriever puppy to shame.

 _No, Emma. Not the puppy dog pout._

But of course the savior didn't let up until Regina, with a big sigh, jumped down from the desk onto Emma's stomach and walked up to her chest where she sat.

 _Okay, happy now? You big baby._

Emma grinned and before Regina could jump down, she wrapped her arms around her. "Good, now we're going to take a nice, lazy nap. Just you and me. No stuffed bears..." She ignored Regina's look of suspicion at the mention of her catnip filled companion that may or may not have had a very unfortunate accident, involving Emma and a fireball. Regina was right, magic was all about emotion. Jealousy was a powerful one. "Anyway, I'm better than any catnip filled bear. At least I can cuddle you back, that's one thing." Regina just gave her look. "Anyway, go to sleep. Rest your fuzzy head and before we known it, it'll be time to clock out."

 _I should fire you._ Regina thought as she laid down, putting her furry face into the crook of Emma's neck. _But you're such an adorable idiot, I can't._

She doesn't even remember when she fell asleep but she drifted off quickly. She could blame Emma for being so warm and soft but she didn't because then she would have to blame herself for liking it.

Instead she just enjoyed the feeling of Emma as she slept.

* * *

"Quitting time!" Emma said excitedly as she placed Regina on the floor. They slept and snacked like the day before and Emma watched more of that silly zombie show on her laptop which Regina actually found herself enjoying. Not that she would ever admit it.

But now it was time to leave and Regina was just looking forward to getting back to Henry.

Regina looked up at Emma as she grabbed her laptop and her phone. She shoved the smaller device in her back pocket. Regina rubbed her face on Emma's leg then circled it, walking between them then coming around and circling the other. She still had no idea why that felt so good.

"Hey." Emma said and Regina looked up at her, her brown eyes were curious. "Let's go home."

She started heading for the office door and held it open. Regina stared for a moment then followed. _I guess I'm walking..._ She had gotten so used to being carried around everywhere. If it wasn't Emma then it was Henry and if it wasn't him, it was Snow White. She forgot she even had feet for a moment.

She stepped out behind Emma and Emma shut the door. They walked out passed the desks and saw David chatting with Philip and Fredrick.

"Dad, I'm out of here." Emma announced without even pausing. "Night guys."

Charming chuckled.

"Night Sheriff." Both deputies said. Emma truly appreciated her deputies. Both were great at their job, they respected her and most importantly they never asked why she's still bringing a cat with her to work. They probably just assumed since she was the daughter of Snow White that it was in her blood to do things like that.

"I'm staying behind a while." Charming called down the hallway. "I'll be right behind you though."

"Okay." Emma called back, almost out the door.

"And I have to talk to you about something." David said.

"Okay." Emma sighed.

"When I get home." He explained.

"Okay later, dad."

She opened the door and looked back at Regina walking up. She smiled and her eyes got that sparkle she gets whenever Regina does something she considers cute.

Honestly Regina didn't realize how long that hallway was... it felt like a mile long with her little legs. She really appreciated her human body all the more. She was now tired and wanted another nap.

 _Don't you dare say I'm cute._ She thought grumpily. _And pick me up._ She put her paws up on Emma's leg and looked up at her. _I'm growing tired of walking._

Emma got the message instantly. She scooped her up and tucked her under her arm. Regina sighed happily and stretched.

 _That's better._

"You are so spoiled." Emma chuckled.

 _Yeah, no shit._ She gave Emma a look.

Emma nodded with a small smirk. "Oh, right. excuse me, your majesty."

Regina nodded, satisfied.

Emma tittered as the stepped out into sun. It felt nice and Regina stretched again. The days were getting warmer and she was really enjoying it.

They headed towards the bug but they didn't make it far before they heard someone calling Emma's name. She stopped and turned then smiled when she saw the person and nodded towards the car as if telling them to follow, they continued on to the car. Upon reaching it, Emma managed to perform magic without using her power. She angled the cat and laptop so that she managed to unlock her car. She put her laptop in the backseat then cradled the cat in her arms like a baby. Regina secretly loved it.

She made a show of looking annoyed by the whole thing.

"Hey Sheriff." A feminine voice said and Regina saw Emma smile. She looked over and saw a woman, a little younger than Emma, shorter than her as well with brown hair and hazel eyes. She was smiling at her.

"Hey Jill." Emma greeted, a little too happily for Regina's liking. The girl's cheeks colored.

 _What the hell is... what's happening?_ She looked up at Emma who seemed focused on the conversation.

Jill twisted a lock of her hair around her finger as she held Emma's gaze with a shy smile. "Heading home?"

"Yep. Hanging up the badge for the night." Emma said with a grin and Regina rolled her eyes.

"Well you deserve the rest after protecting us all day."

Emma blushed. "Yeah, I don't do anything."

 _Damn right you don't!_

"I disagree. The only reason this town is safe is because of you." She leaned in closer and stared into Emma's eyes. "I certainly feel safer with you protecting us, Emma."

Regina bristled. _How dare you! Is she flirting? Not with my Emma! I think not!_

 _Wait... my Emma?_

"Yeah well... I'm glad I could make you feel safe."

Jill placed a hand on Emma's arm and the blonde tensed a little. "You have no idea how safe you make me feel." She squeezed Emma's bicep and her eyes widened at the size of the muscle. She looked like a woman that hadn't eaten in days and Emma was a sirloin steak. Regina glared. "Maybe I can buy you a drink sometime. You know as a thanks..."

 _Remove. Your. Hand._ Regina couldn't help it when she started growling. It started out as a low rumble deep within her chest but it soon caused her entire body to shake.

Emma looked down at her with a concerned expression. "Um... sure."

Jill smiled wide. "Great."

That set Regina off. He ears laid back. Emma was still watching her with worried eyes. Jill followed Emma's line of sight to the cat.

She smiled. "How cute." She cooed and reached out to touch her. Regina hissed sharply and snapped at her hand.

"Oh my god." Emma said taking a step back. "I'm so sorry about that." She gave Regina a warning look. The cat looked back at her and blinked with innocent eyes.

"Not very friendly, is she?" Jill said eyeing the cat warily.

"She's usually better behaved than this. I'm really sorry." Emma said with a pointed look at Regina. She looked away.

"Oh it's fine." Jill said reaching out to touch Emma again but didn't get far because Regina hissed and hit at her hand. She then snapped for good measure.

 _That's what I thought._

"Oh god." Emma yelped.

"Its okay..." Jill chuckled awkwardly. "I'm going to head off to the store. That's where I was going." She offered Emma a flirty smile.

Regina growled.

"Oh okay." Emma said with a nod. "Sorry about that again." she added as the girl backed away. Regina relaxed. "Tell Jack I said hey."

"Will do," Jill said as she turned away. "See you around, Sheriff." She called out as she sauntered away with another flirtatious smile thrown over her shoulder.

 _Not if I have anything to say about it. Now leave before you take a trip down the well instead of the hill next time._

Emma looked at her and she looked amused.

 _Well I'm glad you find this funny._

"That was not nice." Emma finally said as she walked around the car. "Jill is a nice girl."

 _Oh well, she should stay away from what's mine. Wait. What? Emma isn't mine..._

 _Then why did I get so upset when that woman was talking to her? I'm not possessive and besides Emma is just my friend..._

Her thoughts were cut off as Emma strapped her into the passenger seat. When Emma slid into the driver's seat, she fell silent as if she was contemplating something. Regina watched her with her head tilted. A smile crept across Emma's face when she turned to Regina.

"Were you jealous?" Emma asked.

Regina quickly shook her head. _I most certainly was not._

Emma smirked. "You totally were. You didn't start acting up until Jill touched me... but why?"

Regina just blinked.

"Don't answer that. I have all the answers I need." She said as she started the car. Regina's eyes widened.

What answers did she have when Regina had none herself? She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Emma's smirk.

She was more confused than ever at this point.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Please review.**

 **Someone wanted jealous Regina. Here you go. I just hope that was entertaining.**

 **Now, I'm on the fence about them telling Henry. There are pros and cons of this. I don't know... I'm in a dilemma. Idk.**

 **But anyway, see ya at the next update. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: HEY! So first off thanks for the reviews and follows. Also sorry for the delay. I took a quick break from this one but I'm back 100%.**

 **And I'm really glad that you guys are enjoying this. One of the things I really enjoy besides telling stories, is making people laugh and just feel good so, I'm really happy that I'm accomplishing that with this.**

 **Sorry for mistakes!**

 **You guys are awesome!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

Chapter 7

Regina sat at the end of Emma's bed, glaring flaming daggers at her. She was still fuming over their run in with Jill earlier that day. Regina was unsure whether if she was upset by the fact that the peasant even dared to flirt with her Emma or that Emma was just letting her.

The whole thing came back to her being confused about her feelings for the blonde Sheriff. It left her frustrated because while she had no clue what the hell was going on, Emma sat around with that smug look on her face as if she knew some secret about her.

What did Emma know exactly? And why was she so smug about it?

Regina had no clue but one thing she did know for sure was that she hated being left in the dark.

 _What the hell do you know, that I do not?_

Emma was completely unaware of the death glares she was receiving as she happily tapped away on her laptop. "Come sit with me." She eventually said, patting the space beside her without even looking up. Regina's glare turned lethal.

 _How dare she! After how you've confused and worried me?_ She mentally scoffed. _No cuddles for you, Emma Swan. Oh God, did I just say cuddles? Stop it, you are not an actual cat._

Emma finally looked up when the cat hadn't moved. She furrowed her brows and her mouth turned down into a small frown. "Come here, Regina."

 _No._ The cat looked away and turned her nose up. Emma chuckled and turned back to her laptop with a shrug.

 _I'm glad you find this funny, Emma. Let's see how funny it is when you're unemployed. Don't forget that I know that our tax payer's dollars fund your naps and your watching of violent fairytale television shows when you should be protecting them._

"Is this about the Jill thing?" Emma asked without looking up.

 _Damn right it is, explain yourself, Sheriff._

"...because I can promise you that there is nothing going on between me and her."

Regina tilted her head. _Why the hell does this make me feel so much better? Ugh._

"She kinda has a thing for me but she's not exactly my type." Emma continued. "I mean, she's pretty and all but I'm not into women who throw themselves at me, you know?"

Regina's head was still tilted as she took in this new information. _Women? Emma's into women? There's been been others? She did say 'women' as in plural. Oh my gods, this is too much._

"I like the thrill of the chase." Emma said with a chuckle and Regina couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "But I like the settling down part too. I think that's the most fun." She shrugged.

 _Why the hell are you telling me this? What the hell is going on? Emma!_

"Were you jealous of her?" Emma asked teasingly. Regina's eyes narrowed.

 _No I certainly was not! She shook her head._

"You so were."

She hit Emma's sock covered foot with her paw. Emma laughed.

"You know... they say that _cats_ are very possessive of their _friends_... is that it?

Regina's eyes widened and she nodded. That must be it. That's the only reasonable explanation. It has to be the cat in her. Why else is she being so possessive? Or maybe she- _wait, why'd you say 'cats' and 'friends' like that? Emma_!

Emma paused as if waiting for something but when she got nothing, she smiled a sly smile, nodded and patted the space beside her on the bed again. "Come here."

Regina still looked at Emma with her eyes narrowed into slits and her ears slicked back. _No, I'm still mad at you. You are banned from touching me until you tell me what you think you know._

At that, she stood up and turned around with her back facing Emma. She heard Emma snort behind her. She huffed and started to jump down from the bed but Emma was quicker. Regina felt the bed dip behind her then she was grabbed up and pulled backwards. She always panicked when she was lifted into the air and she wasn't quite sure why.

Before she got too frightened, she was snuggled against Emma's chest. She squirmed a little but eventually gave up and looked up into her stupidly adorable face. Emma grinned triumphantly and settled back against the headboard.

 _Excuse you, Miss Swan but I said no. Just because I'm a cat, does not mean that you can go around lifting me whenever you like._

The sheriff's hand instantly went behind Regina's ear and started rubbing. _Get off of me, Emma, I'm still mad at you!_ Her little paws started pushing against Emma's chest but Emma just held tighter and began scratching.

 _Emma! I said... oh that feels nice. Just... Fine, you can pet me!_ She tried to continue to pout.

Her eyes slipped closed and she began to purr. At this point she wasn't embarrassed anymore. It was just part of her life for now. That didn't exactly mean she liked it but she couldn't help it. Especially when Emma was touching her like that. She lifted her chin and tilted her head. Emma didn't need much more prompting after that. She scratched under the cat's chin as she held her securely against her chest.

 _Oh Emma..._

She heard Emma chuckle. Her eyes sprang open and she was met with Emma's soft eyes. There was something in them but Regina couldn't quite place the emotion as the sheriff's lips curved into a soft smile.

Regina wanted to fuss and struggle to get down but she was too relaxed, so she just closed her eyes again and rested her head against Emma's chest. Just enjoying her warmth and the soothing but strong sound of her heartbeat.

 _Don't think I forgive you because I don't. I still have a bone to pick with you._

She moved her head back. A little more to the left... She heard Emma chuckle again and she growled. She peeked one eye open and noticed the blonde watching her with a grin. _Idiot_. _The first time you stop before I give you permission, I'm biting you._

* * *

Henry paid them a quick visit and Regina was ecstatic, squirming in Emma's arms to get over to him. Emma reluctantly let her go and she trotted across the bed to him. She sat down at the end of it and looked up at him, swishing her fluffy tail back and forth.

 _Hi, Henry_. She thought excitedly. _Hi!_

The teenager reached down and petted the cat softly. "Hey girl." He said. "Did you have a good day?"

Regina smirked in her head at Henry speaking in a tone that most people would use for a baby. With anyone else she would have found it irritating but with Henry, it was adorable.

She glanced back at Emma and noticed her trying to hide an amused grin behind the magazine she had been holding.

When she turned back around, Henry tickled under her chin quickly. He then dug into his pocket and produced one of those colored fluff balls that Regina always gets into trouble with Emma for trying to eat.

He tossed it onto the bed and Regina's eyes followed it until it landed on the bed, right beside Emma's leg. The cat quickly turned on it and eyed it with wide eyes.

 _I hate myself for this._

She crouched down low and her tail swayed from side to side. When the time was right, she pounced onto it and grabbed it up into her tiny paws. It went straight into her mouth and she nibbled on it then rolled over onto her back and kicked it with her back paws.

Henry and Emma watched on with small smiles.

"How was school?" Emma asked as her eyes drifted to him then back to the cat, making sure she wasn't trying to eat her toy.

"Good." Henry said with a shrug. "It was you know..."

"School." They both said at the same time and they shared a grin.

"How was your day?" He asked watching the cat play.

"Boring..." Emma said with a shrug. "Not much happening around here anymore..."

"Yeah, that's kind of a good thing." He said thoughtfully. "But it's hard getting used to a simple life, you know?"

Emma poked out her bottom lip as she nodded in agreement. "True but it gives me time to kick ass in Into The Dead. Seriously, man, you should have seen my score." She missed Regina's glare at her for swearing around their son.

"That good, huh?"

"Incredible." Emma said with a smug smile. Henry grinned.

"I bet I can beat it."

"Oh you're on." Emma's eyes darted to the cat that was now licking the fuzzy pink toy. She reached over and tapped the cat on her nose. When she looked up at her, she gave her a look. "You better not."

The cat glowered at her. _You are not the boss of me, Emma Swan. Last I checked, I am the queen and your boss. Don't test me._

"Don't you look at me like that." Emma said sternly.

 _I will look at you in any way that I wish._

Henry snorted. "You do know that she's a cat and can't understand you, right?"

"You'd be surprised what she can understand..." Emma half mumbled.

"Are you sure you can't speak to animal like Grandma can?"

Emma nodded. "One hundred percent sure. I have no idea what this cat is thinking." She smiled at Henry and he laughed.

Regina saw that as the perfect opportunity to try and eat the fuzzy ball while Emma was distracted. She glanced up again to make sure that Emma was still busy talking to Henry then started gnawing on the toy. Her little cat jaws moving quickly as to not get caught.

 _If this was not supposed to be eaten, then why does it smell and taste so good?_ She chewed faster. I know it's not food but I have to eat it. She held it with her front paws and began pulling at the fluff.

She kept chewing, glancing up at Emma every now and then checking.

She had almost fit the rest of it into her mouth when a hand came down and pulled the toy out. She growled at the loss of her inedible snack and looked up at Emma.

 _Emma, if you do not-_

The blonde was holding the toy as if it wasn't covered in cat saliva. "What did I say?" She asked sternly.

 _Don't you take that tone with me! How dare you!_

The cat stood up and glared at the sheriff defiantly. They both just sat there, both standing their ground.

Henry's snicker broke their staring contest. "Mom, you really need some human friends."

Emma mock laughed and rolled her eyes at their son. "Anyway." She said turning back to the cat. "Now you lost it."

 _No!_ Regina turned on her best kitten face and reached for it adorably.

Emma's face softened. "Awww..." but then she quickly sobered and she shook her head. "Nope!" Then she opened her bed side table and threw the ball inside.

 _You monster! Give it back._ Regina thought, stalking closer. _I will scratch you!_

"What happened to her teddy bear?" Henry asked. "She can chew on that."

Emma looked instantly guilty. _Yeah Emma, where is he?_

"Uh..." Emma rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess she lost it... She takes it everywhere. We must've left it some place..."

 _Liar! You did something to him!_

"Oh..." Henry said after a moment. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've gotten her another one."

The cat spun around and looked at Henry with big hopeful eyes.

"Oh..." Emma sighed.

"Yeah, I'll go by the pet shop tomorrow after school to pick her up a new one."

"Okay..." Emma sighed again.

The cat looked back at Emma with a smug expression. _I win._ Then she trotted over to Henry and got into his lap. _That's my boy._ She rubbed her cheek on him and nuzzled his face.

She looked back at Emma who was watching her with her arms crossed and a raised brow.

 _What?_

Henry's hand came up and started petting her fuzzy coat. He looked up at Emma. "Have you heard anything from my mom?"

Emma's eyes widened and looked at the cat who's eyes had popped open and was staring up at their son. The cat looked at Emma and the Sheriff visibly gulped. The cat tilted her head then her eyes darted to Henry then back to Emma.

 _Go on, Em. Tell him..._

The blonde just sat there frozen. If Regina could face palm she would.

 _Anytime, Emma..._

Henry looked at her with furrowed brows. "Mom?"

 _Emma, for the love of the Gods!_

Emma blinked and appeared to come back to the moment. She looked at Henry and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "No, kid. Sorry but she's okay, I promise."

"How do you know?"

Emma's eyes darted to the black ball of fur in her son's lap then back up to his eyes. She shrugged. "Just do..." Henry frowned and looked down. "Hey." When he looked up she smiled at him, this one more realistic than the last. "Do you trust me?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Emma nodded back and relaxed back against the headboard. "Good. Then trust me when I say everything is going to be okay."

"Okay." He sighed. "You're probably right. I just don't like when I don't hear from her."

The cat nuzzled him again. _Oh Henry..._

"You will."

"I hope so..." He sat the cat on the bed. "I'm going to go start my homework."

"Henry, you didn't start your homework already?" Emma looked down at her watch. Regina looked scandalized by that as well. "Its almost six."

"Nope." The boy said with smug grin.

Emma smirked. "You have three seconds..." She said reaching for a pillow. His eyes widened and he laughed. He turned around and ran for the door. "One!" She said as she launch the pillow at him.

He ducked and it hit the door. He stood up and looked back at her. "You said three..."

"No I said you had to three." She said grabbing another one. "I never said I was going to wait until three to throw it."

"That's not fair." The teenager whined.

"Life's not fair, kid. Better to learn that from your moms than out there."

Regina scoffed mentally. _Speak for yourself._

Henry snorted and Emma raised the pillow threateningly. Henry made a broken squeak sound, swung the door open and slipped out, closing it behind him. Emma grinned and winked at the cat.

 _Wow_... Regina rolled her eyes.

The door cracked open and Emma threw the pillow with perfect precision, hitting him square in the face.

He made a little oomph sound as it made contact and laughed as it hit the floor. He stuck his tongue out and closed the door as she reached for another.

She chuckled. "That's what I thought." Her laugh died as her eyes landed on the cat who was watching her with a judgemental look in her eyes. "What?"

 _Um... you were supposed to tell our son that I'm a cat so that he would stop worrying... which doesn't exactly make a lot of sense when you really think about it but anyway..._

Emma climbed out of the bed and went about gathering the pillows that she had thrown. She looked at the cat as she brought them back and sat them on the bed.

The cat was still staring at her. She sighed and hung her head. "I chickened out, okay?" She snapped. She huffed out a breath as she plopped onto the bed beside Regina. She pushed her fingers through her hair. "How can I not chicken out in telling my son that his mother is a cat?"

 _Uh..._

"Don't answer that..."

 _Um..._

"I'll tell him..." Emma sighed. The cat gave her a skeptical look. "I will!"

 _Sure, Emma. Just figure something out before our son worries himself to death._

Emma reached over and pulled Regina into her lap. "It'll be fine."

The cat snuggled against Emma, a gesture that seemed so natural at this point. _We'll see._

* * *

Emma only had to be called down to dinner once. She got up and left a sleeping Regina on the bed where she had been curled up with her. The cat had practically passed out which happened often. She'd feel like she needed a nap, everything would go black and she would wake up with no memory of even falling asleep. Sometimes in a completely different part of the apartment. She was just thankful that she was still in Emma's bed this time.

It didn't take long for Regina to notice the lack of warmth against her body and it took even shorter than that to register that the reason for that was because Emma abandoned her.

She opened her eyes and rolled over onto her other side and her suspicions were confirmed. Emma had left her.

 _I must say, Emma. I've never envisioned you as the type to sneak out while the lady is asleep..._

Regina stretched and yawned, stretching out her tiny legs. Then she stood up. She stretched again, each leg. First the front legs then the back legs. Then she arched her back, stretching that. She shook her coat out. Feeling wide awake, she turned towards the door and she noticed that it was slightly ajar. Clearly Emma left it open for her.

Her little tummy rumbled. _Okay, okay, quiet._ She thought to it and jumped down from the bed onto the floor.

She strolled over to the door and slipped out into the dimly lit hallway. She had been all over the Charmings' apartment in her human life but from this angle and height, it looked much bigger than it actually was.

She walked down the hall, which felt more like walking through the endless forest with her small legs. The bell on her collar jingling with each step. She hated that thing. It was so noisy, it attracted too much attention and it made Neal think she was a toy. She had to find some way to get rid of it.

She reached the stairs after what felt like an hour which was probably about two minutes. She eyed them warily. Every single time she has ever come up and down the stairs, someone had carried her. She has never truly attempted the trip down the stairs on her own but there's a first time for everything.

She looked at the first step. She tilted her head and tried to come up with a plan. If she has climbed a marble staircase in six inch heels or walked over a grate in the same, she could do this. With that thought in mind she lifted one paw and placed it onto the step.

 _Okay that worked._ She thought as she did the same with the other. Her front half on the step below. She took a deep breath and lowered her back feet to the step as well. She teetered for a moment in the awkward position she was in, her heart almost stopped but she quickly caught herself. _Okay, one down._ She thought in relief.

She looked down and saw how many more there were and she groaned internally. There are so many. She had half a mind to turn back around but her tummy grumbled again. Realizing she had no choice but to feed the little rumbling thing, she continued on.

She took the same cautious steps down. Only almost losing her footing once. It took longer than she would have liked but at least she survived the trip down... well, almost.

Upon reaching the second to last step, she got her paws tangled and stumbled a little, landing less than gracefully on the bottom floor. Slightly stunned, she stood up and shook her coat out. She looked back at the mountain she had just descended and nodded, she was proud of herself.

There was obviously nothing she couldn't do.

She smirked in her head as she trotted over to the dinner table. The sound of her collar attracting the attention of its occupants.

"Awww, look who's awake." Snow cooed and Regina rolled her eyes. "Did you have a good nap, pretty girl?"

She looked back at Snow and tilted her head. The woman smiled and the cat dipped her head in greeting then continued her trip over to Emma's chair, food being her main thought at the moment. She meowed as she rubbed her side against the Sheriff's leg.

Emma looked down at her and petted her head. They shared a look and Emma stood. Even in this form Emma gets her. "Come on." She said leading the cat to the kitchen.

"You know..." Snow began thoughtfully, watching them both retreat to the kitchen. "The cat only seems to like you..."

"She likes everyone." Emma cut in. She opened the microwave and pulled out a saucer.

"But it seems that she only interacts with you." The woman pointed out.

"And me." Henry added.

Snow nodded and pointed to him. "Right." She said. "And she won't even talk back to me. I keep waiting for her to say something but she refuses." She looked sad for a moment. "Do you think she hates me?"

The cat turned around and looked at her friend. _Oh, Snow, I don't hate you but I would like it if you'd stop bathing me and dressing me up._

"Nah." Emma said shaking her head as she scooped the contents of the saucer into the impatient feline's dish. "She's a cat, mom."

 _Excuse you!_

"Animals love me, Emma." Snow said softly.

"Yeah, you're Snow White..." Emma said petting the cat then leaving her to eat her food in peace. She leaned against the kitchen island. "But I doubt the cat has a personal vendetta against you. I found her, so she trusts me. Just give it time. She'll open up to you." She added the last part pointedly at the cat.

Regina just grunted in response then returned to her food dish. _Fine. I'll be nicer to her but it's on you if she gives me another bath._

Emma rolled her eyes as if she had heard her and pushed off of the counter. She walked back to the table and plopped back down into her seat.

"Okay, Emma..." Snow said with a smile and patted her daughter's hand. "I'll be patient." Emma smiled and started to say something but before she could, her father cut in.

"Emma," David said and his daughter looked at him with furrowed brows. His tone was more serious than she had ever heard it. "Remember I said I wanted to talk to you?"

"Yep." His serious tone set Emma and Regina on edge but for what exactly, they were unsure. It wasn't like he knew.

"Today I went to Regina's office to check there for her." He didn't see the cat's ears perk up as Emma nodded dumbly. "...and well, what I want to know is... why was _Maleficent_ there?"

Emma sighed in relief. She had almost forgotten about that. She asked Maleficent to play as acting Mayor as if Regina had asked her to. It seemed like a good idea at the time and she had done it before. Maleficent shrugged and agreed.

"What did she say?" Emma asked raising a brow. Wondering how Maleficent played it off.

"Nothing just showed me a note from Regina." He said with a shrug. "Along with an official document, signed by Regina, stating that Maleficent was acting Mayor for the time being." He snapped his fingers as he remembered something else. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it Emma. "The note was basically Regina asking Maleficent if she could watch the town for a few days because she was taking a break." He shrugged.

She unfolded the crumpled up pieces of paper, she looked at the letter first. That was definitely Regina's handwriting and it _sounded_ like her. It said exactly what her father had said. It was brief and to the point. Regina's style. She then looked at the document. Definitely Regina's signature. "Damn she's good." Emma mumbled to herself. How the hell did she pull that off?

"Emma, honey, did you say something?" Snow asked.

Emma cleared her throat. "I said, that's good. Regina's clearly just relaxing."

"I'm surprised she didn't ask me..." Snow said thoughtfully with a hint of rejection. She plucked the letter from her hands. "I did a pretty good job as mayor."

"Maybe she was afraid you'd try to redecorate again..." Emma mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Snow asked, completely missing what Emma had said. David though, had heard and snorted.

"Oh uh..." Emma frowned. "I said, she knows that you have class, mom."

"And so..." David drawled pointedly and continued his story. "I told her that I needed to speak to Regina regardless... I mean, it's not that I don't trust her... but I don't trust her."

"Okay and what did she say?" Snow pressed, leaning forward, clearly anxious.

He shrugged. "She said no problem. Regina's supposed to swing by tomorrow and check in on her."

"Well, that's good." Snow sighed. "At least we can actually see her."

"Yep." David said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He turned to his daughter. "Wanna take a ride with me tomorrow? Me, you and officer Bella?"

Emma shrugged. "Sure. I don't see why not?"

Emma seemed calm and collected on the outside but she was freaking out on the inside. What even was Maleficent thinking? How can she pull that off if Regina is a... um... cat?

This whole plan was going to go to hell and it was all because Emma was too chicken to tell the truth. Maybe she should come clean now. It'll be easier that way. Maybe...

She opened her mouth to let all of the words fall out but Henry, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, cut her off.

"And ask my mom why she isn't answering my calls." He said simply. He didn't sound upset, just worried. "Is there something wrong with her phone?"

"That must be it, kid." Emma said awkwardly. She rubbed the back of her neck and glanced at the cat that was watching her with large worried eyes. "We'll uh... find out tomorrow..."

"Okay." Henry said with a small smile. She tried to return it. To say that they were in some real sugar-honey-iced-tea would be an understatement.

"So..." Snow said smiling at her oldest child. "Now that we know that Regina is okay. Tell me about your day, Emma. What did you and officer Bella do?"

Emma casted another glance at the cat. "Uh..."

* * *

Emma dropped her towel as soon as she entered the bedroom and being so used to being flashed, Regina covered her eyes before she saw anything. The Sheriff instantly started pacing the room, Regina could hear her feet hitting the floor. She kept her paws securely over her eyes.

"You do realize that we're in some serious shit now, right?" Emma half whined. "I mean, my dad is going to go to your office and expect to see you... and if you aren't there, which you obviously won't be because..." She waved her hands at the cat that was still covering her face with her paws. "You're a freaking cat."

 _I'm well aware of my species at the current time, Emma!_

"And if my dad doesn't see you, he'll think she ate you or something."

Regina smirked mentally because she knew that if she could speak, she would have said something that would have definitely made Emma blush. _I wouldn't be surprised quite frankly, even though Mal is one of my oldest friends. I wouldn't put it passed Charming accusing her of harming me._

"What are we going to do?" Emma groaned. "I mean, we're royally fucked."

Again Regina wished she could speak because what she was thinking would have caused Emma to turn the brightest shade of red imaginable. Instead she snorted.

"And telling Henry's out of the question."

 _Not exactly, you could always-_

"I mean, he already thinks you're ignoring him. What if he thinks the dragon lady offed you?"

 _Emma, calm down and for the love of God, put some clothes on so I can look at you. If I know anything, it's that Maleficent always has a plan._

"How the hell are we going to explain any of this? This is a disaster."

 _Oh is it? Excuse me but you are not the one who's walking around on four legs and has a chronic hairball condition. It's me._

Emma stopped pacing and sighed heavily.

The cat felt the bed dip beside her, she sat up and opened her eyes but slammed them back shut when she discovered that Emma was still nude. _Oh god, Emma. Please put some clothes on. I can't sit like this all night._

Emma scoffed as her hand started petting the cat. "Seriously, Regina, my nakedness is the least of our problems right now."

 _I beg to differ._

Emma sighed and got up. Regina prayed that she was going to put some clothes on. She heard the drawer open and she sighed in relief.

She wasn't that stressed out about it. She knew that Maleficent would most likely have a plan. Would that plan solve everything? Of course not but it could buy them time. Emma just needed to calm down.

"Okay, you can look." Emma said. Regina uncovered her fuzzy face and looked up at Emma. She was dressed but barely. Clad in the tiniest shorts Regina had ever seen, along with a tight tanktop and completely braless. But she was wearing _something_ thankfully.

"I mean, I know I'm freaking out. I'm sorry and if you were human, you would probably slap me and tell me to snap out of it."

The cat made a snorting sound. _True but do you need that because if you lean down a little, I can probably still help you in this form._ She raised her little black paw, her big innocent eyes twinkled with excitement.

"You would just love to slap me, wouldn't you?" Emma crossed her arms and grinned down at the cat.

The cat nodded. _Just a little._

"Well I'm not letting you." She said with a chuckle. It turned into a groan as she plopped onto the bed and fell back onto her back. She covered her eyes with her arm. "Did I mention how much trouble we're in?"

 _Just a couple hundred times._

Regina watched Emma with her head tilted. She was obviously distressed and for some reason that caused the cat inside of her to come out. It overpowered every human part of her in its need to comfort.

She leapt up on to Emma's chest and sat down. She stared down at the blonde and tilted her head again. Confused as to why Emma didn't move her arm. She meowed loudly and Emma's other hand shot to her head and started stroking to her tail and back again.

 _Move your arm, Emma._

She rubbed her head on Emma's chin and she heard the woman laugh. She began purring as she did the same with her cheek. In a moment, she was rubbing her little furry face all over Emma's in an attempt to make her feel better.

She heard Emma laugh again. She looked up at her and was pleased to see that her arm was moved and she could see her eyes.

 _That's better._

"I'm good." Emma said as she scratched behind her ears. "I'm still stressed but I wont blow a blood vessel or anything. You can relax."

Regina tilted her head again. Then without much thought she leaned in close to Emma's face and before she could stop herself, her tongue darted out and she licked the tip of Emma's nose.

Both of their eyes widened. _Oh my god, I just kissed Emma! Oh my god._ She sobered up and the human came back. _Oh no._

She started to back away and jump down, from pure humiliation and confusion. Why would she want to even kiss Emma? It wasn't all the cat. She could not even pretend that it was. She wanted to. She had been dying to do that since she took that form but why?

"No, wait." Emma said stopping her by wrapping an arm around her. "Dont be... don't feel..." She sighed. "It's okay. It was cute. I know that _cats_ like to lick _people_ to show that they _like_ them. So thank you." She grinned that grin that made Regina want to both lick her again and jump on her face and bite her.

That did help Regina to calm down a little though. _Okay_. She wanted to question why she emphasis on those certain words but instead she just laid her head down and snuggled it into Emma's neck, hoping to fall asleep before she did something else idiotic. The sheriff's fingers were combing through her fur and the cat started purring again. They were both beginning to calm down.

But of course that didn't last long.

There was a soft knock at the bedroom door. The cat huffed in annoyance and Emma groaned. Both disappointed in their tiny moment of peace being disrupted.

"Yes?" Emma answered and sat up on her elbows, the movement caused the cat to slide down to her stomach.

Regina huffed in annoyance again.

The door opened slightly and in popped Snow's head. "All settled in?"

Emma rolled her eyes fondly. "Yes. Mom. Wanna read me a story?" Snow's eyes widened and a huge smile spread across her face. Emma snorted. "Mom, I was kidding."

Snow laughed. "I know but it wouldn't hurt."

Emma grinned and shook her head. "Maybe another time?"

The woman smiled and waved a hand at her daughter. "Its your loss." She then turned serious. "Okay. Look, I scheduled a playdate for Bella. One of the teachers at the school has two lovely Siamese cats and she's going to bring them over."

Emma looked down at Regina who was looking up at her with big worried eyes. She didn't have to speak to animals to know that the cat was asking for help. "Mom..." She said turning back to her mother. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Nonsense." Snow said waving that off. "She'll be fine. Bella could do with a little interaction with her own species. She loves you, but I think it'll be nice for her to spend some time with her own kind." She then lowered her voice. "You don't want her to get separation anxiety. I know this woman and she has this adorable little cocker spaniel, named Lady. You know Lady, right?" She didn't wait for Emma to respond.

Actually Emma did know Lady. She remembered chasing her and this scruffy gray stray all around Storybrooke one time when the cocker spaniel escaped from her yard. Apparently the two dogs had 'fallen in love'.

Snow waved a hand and continued on. "Well, she gets really nervous whenever her mother leaves her and well... I don't want Bella to get like that."

Regina turned around and looked at Snow then. _You've always been overdramatic, Snow White._

Emma didn't bother to tell her mother that she didn't plan on ever leaving the cat alone so instead she just nodded.

"Okay, so I'll let her know that it's still on." Snow said happily.

Emma sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "Mom..." She groaned.

"Emma, if you're so worried, maybe you should chaperone with me." The woman said hopefully.

Emma shot the cat an apologetic look then turned back to her mother. "We're not getting out of this, are we?"

"Nope." Snow chirped. "It'll be good. You'll see. Just wait until you see her playing with the other kitties and how adorable she looks."

"Fine." Emma sighed. She knew this was a bad idea but once her mother gets an idea, it becomes a thing and there's no getting out of it. She just hates that Regina got sucked into it this time.

Snow smiled and clapped her hands together. "Good." She all but squealed. Emma shook her head. Snow then blew her daughter a kiss. "Good night, girls."

Emma smiled. "Night mom."

Snow waved at them then backed out of the room, shutting the door. Emma shook her head and turned back to the cat. "Sorry about that but my mom... she's... we'll figure something out."

 _You better because I refuse to spend time with any flea bags._ She thought as she jumped down from Emma's stomach.

"Honestly, I'm too tired to deal with this right now." Emma sighed. "Let's just get some rest because I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a long day."

 _Every day is a long one for us, Emma but I supposed you're right. I could use some sleep._

Emma moved up the bed and slid under the sheets. She adjusted Regina's pillow then motioned for her to come over. She didn't have to be told twice. She hopped onto the pillow and snuggled close to Emma's side.

She rested her head on Emma's chest and sighed. Finally allowing herself to relax.

Emma settled back against the pillows and sighed as well. She smirked to herself at what she was about to do. "Good night, my little jealous queen."

Regina's head snapped up and she looked at Emma, eyes wide and slack jawed. The blonde's eyes were closed with the faintest of smiles on her lips.

Regina huffed and laid her head back down, grumbling in her mind. _Okay you win this round, Sheriff, but just wait until I get my human body back._

 _Just you wait..._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Oh my god. This secret is getting so messy. lol. I didn't mean for it to but hey, I'm going to roll with it.**

 **This chapter was mostly from Regina's point of view but I feel like Emma is catching on... idk... Regina on the other hand... well...**

 **Have you guessed who the cats are that Regina is supposed to be having a play date with, yet?**

 **Also you guys can tell me if there's anything you want to see cat Regina do or anyone you want to see her interact with. I take prompts for this story. You can drop it in the reviews or a pm.**

 **But again. Thanks for reading. Please review. See ya at the next update. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey, Thanks for reviewing, following and faving.**

 **so I had really bad writer's block regarding this story. I shook it then it came right back. But I was watching season one and August was like when he gets writer's block he goes back and looks at what he'd already written and looks at it from a different perspective. Well I tried that and it helped. Lol who knew fictional characters could help a ff writer with their writing problems? Anyway, note that I wrote this with writer's block so sorry if it's boring or whatever. :(**

 **Also thanks for the prompts. I will try to add them to this. I really appreciate it.**

 **I usually use Maleficent for magical assistance instead of Rumple because even though I adore him, I can't trust him. And I felt like if they had gone to him for help, there would have been some scheme and this story would have become less fun. But Maleficent usually doesn't have anything up her sleeves so there's that.**

 **Sorry for mistakes. I own nothing.**

 **Enjoy**.

Chapter 8

Regina felt fingers combing through her thick fur gently. It was a heavenly sensation and a lovely way to be woken up in the morning. She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to the body she was pressed against, following the soft warmth. Honestly she didn't even want to wake up. She just wanted stay in bed with Emma all day.

Well.. the cat in her did. Regina didn't _cuddle._ Especially not with Emma Swan. No matter how much she... the cat liked her.

She began to purr softly as Emma continued to stroke her.

Yep, she... the cat... could do this all day. Just her and Emma.

But of course that was not to be. "Okay, Madam Mayor." Emma said gently. "Time to get up."

 _No_. The cat huffed in annoyance and buried her face further into Emma's chest. _I don't want to. This is nice._

"We have to get up." Emma said distractedly. Her fingers continuing to stroke Regina softly despite trying to wake her. "Gina?"

Regina groaned but it of course came out as a low growl. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up into Emma's face. She was looking at her with those same soft eyes as usual.

Regina's heart did something that felt like a jolt and it startled her a little. Her tiny cat face took on an expression of confusion. She had no idea what was going on but...

"Come on." Emma said rolling out of bed.

The cat yawned and sat up a little more. Upon closer inspection, Regina noticed that Emma was fully dressed and ready for the day. Had she slept through all of that?

Wow.

"Okay, so," Emma placed her hands on her hips. Regina got up and stretched her front legs and then her back legs. "Here's the thing, if anything should go wrong we're poofing out of there and we're hiding out until you turn back into a human. Then we're leaving Storybrooke forever. The kid could stay here."

Regina stood up and stretched her front legs again then her back legs, lifting each then stretched her fluffy tail and her back. _Stop being so dramatic, Emma. You are definitely your mother's daughter._

"Okay, let's get this over with." The sheriff sighed. She scooped Regina up and held her closely to her chest. "Oh..."

She dipped her head quickly and pressed her lips to the top of the cat's head. Regina's eyes widened and she looked up into Emma's face. A smile rolled across the blonde's face. "That's for last night."

Regina's looked even more shocked, if that was even possible. _Emma?_

"I _like_ you too." She whispered before kissing her little black nose that time.

Regina continued to stare at Emma, a bemused expression on her feline features. _Emma, what are you doing? Don't do things that cause me to feel emotions... that I cannot understand._

Emma began carrying her out of the room. Regina was more confused than she's been this entire time. When Regina kissed Emma, it was the cat impulses. Well that's what she blamed it on. Emma did as well. So now Emma kissed her. What exactly does that mean?

 _Here she goes again confusing me._ She pouted as Emma carried her out of the room to begin their day.

* * *

"It was a good idea to meet him here, right?" Emma asked as she stood outside of the town hall. The cat in her arms grunted. A clear sign that she didn't care either way. "I mean, that way we can know what Maleficent is planning."

Regina gave Emma a look that said she was beyond bored. Emma huffed and scratched the cat's cheek. "Come on."

They stepped into the building and continued up the stairs. The walk down the hallway was a quiet one, save for the sound of Emma's boots squeaking against the tile.

It was extremely annoying to Regina's hypersensitive ears. Did this hallway always squeak like this? she really needed to do something about that. _Or I can just detach Emma's feet._

They reached the door to Regina's office and without hesitation, Emma pushed the door open. There perched behind the desk, sat Maleficent in her usually cool, calm demeanor.

"Ah, the Savior." The older blonde said with a smile. Her eyes landed on the cat. "And her majesty." Her voice softened as she addressed the cat. Emma bristled at the affection in her tone.

"Um... hey." Emma said awkwardly, shifting the cat as if she was not quite sure what to do with her. "My dad is coming and he expects to see Regina." She cut to the chase as she closed the door behind her.

"He will see her..." Maleficent said in her usually bored tone as Emma approached the desk. She sighed deeply when Emma just plopped into the visitor's chair gracelessly. She obviously did not want Emma's company.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked as the cat settled into her lap.

 _Yeah, what do you mean? Are you going to-_

"Yes, Regina, I am." Maleficent replied simply. "I feel like that would be a simple solution."

The cat nodded seriously. She leapt out of Emma's lap and onto the desk. She walked over to Maleficent and looked up at her.

"What do you have planned?" Emma asked leaning forward in her seat.

Mal shrugged. "I'd rather not implicate you. Should it go south. You can pretend as if you had no part in it."

The cat meowed loudly cutting off Emma's next comment. Regina knew that their best bet was to trust Maleficent and let everything play out but that was not in Emma's nature.

"This spell is quite remarkable." Maleficent said studying the cat. "Look at her, she's beautiful. It was an accident, you say?"

"Well... yeah." Emma said with a shrug, successfully distracted. "I misread a spell."

Maleficent nodded."Well that is quite a mistake." She tilted her head, studying the cat more. "Her eyes are so human."

"Apparently, Granny said the same thing."

"She's a werewolf, correct?"

Emma shrugged. "Yes. But she doesn't shift anymore."

Maleficent nodded. "Yes well, when they get a certain age they don't anymore." She shrugged. "Anyway, you need to be careful around her because like myself, she may be able to hear her."

Emma and Regina both nodded. _Of course she could._

Regina pranced across the desk a few times showing off of course then sat back directly in front of Maleficent. Her large brown eyes grew even larger as she stared up at the woman. The dragon's expression softened and a soft smile graced her lips.

"Look at you," The older sorceress said stroking Regina's coat. "So beautiful." The cat closed her eyes and arched up as Maleficent's hand glided across her silky back.

She began purring softly again as the woman worked her magic on her thick coat.

Regina looked over her shoulder at Emma and noticed the scowl on the sheriff's face. _Oh Emma, don't be like that_.

Maleficent raised a brow when she got a glimpse of Emma's expression and before she could question it, their attention was pulled to Emma's phone as it began ringing. Emma tore her glare away for a moment and fished the device out.

She grimaced at the picture of her father on the screen. She answered slowly while the cat and Maleficent watched on.

"Yeah?" She said trying to sound completely calm but completely losing it on the inside. Both witches rolled their eyes at the drama.

"Where are you, Emma?" He asked.

"Inside." Emma replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay. I'm on my way up."

He disconnected the call and Emma looked up at Maleficent with a panicked expression. Maleficent sighed dramatically and pushed the desk chair back. "You need to relax Saviour."

"Emma." The sheriff corrected. "And how can I relax? You... you..."

Maleficent scooped Regina up off of the desk and Emma bristled at someone else holding Regina close like that. The cat on the other hand looked completely comfortable which only fueled Emma's fire even more. She glared at them and they both seemed oblivious to it.

The loud clonking of David's shoes could be heard coming down the hall and the panic started coming off Emma in waves. With one more irritated eye roll, Maleficent waved a hand over the now vacant chair.

A plume of deep black smoke appeared in the chair, it swirled and contorted forming something but Emma was not quite sure what until the smoke cleared. She gasped when it unveiled... well, Regina.

"What the...?" Emma said looking over Regina. It stared back at her with a bored expression. Reminding her so much of the Mayor when she first arrived in Storybrooke all those years ago. "Regina?"

Maleficent sighed. "No." She said pulling Emma's attention. "This is Regina." She ran a hand over the cat's head. "This spell is a simple one. One of the first that I've leaned and taught Regina. It's somewhat a vision of her, it's not even physically here. A projection, if you will. Controlled by the creator or control could be handed over. It just looks like her. There's nothing there. It can't think for itself."

Emma still looked confused. "So what happens?"

"I handed control over to the Queen." Maleficent said simply. "I don't know if it'll work because of Regina's current state... I've never exactly had to do this." She shrugged as she scratched under the cat's chin. Emma wanted to just snatch Regina away and scream 'Mine!' But of course she couldn't, besides Regina looked content. "Lets just hope it does."

Emma eyed the Regina hologram for a moment. She was dressed in a dark red blouse, too many buttons undone of course. Emma couldn't see the rest of the outfit and shoes but she was pretty sure they were extremely hot and probably about six inches high. She leaned closer and looked into the fake Regina's face, her eyes dropped to her lips that were painted a dark red to match the blouse and her hair was completely perfect.

It was a believable replica and Emma knew for sure that Mal was definitely the best at what she did.

Emma leaned in closer, 'Regina' didn't even look at her or acknowledge her at all. She reached out a hand to touch her cheek but her finger went straight through as if it was just air.

"Stop that, Emma!" It snapped and Emma jumped. She almost fell backwards in her haste to put some space between her and the phony mayor.

Emma looked up at Maleficent and Regina trying not to freak out. "What the hell?"

Maleficent held the cat up with a smirk. "It works."

"Yes." The hologram said and Emma's eyes darted over to her. It was smoothing down its clothes, in such a Regina-like fashion. "Now. Emma if you would get that startled expression off of your face, I'd truly appreciate it. We don't need Sheriff Idiot suspecting anything."

Emma stared at human Regina with a look of shock then she looked at the cat and for a moment she doubted herself. She wondered if Regina was no longer inside of the cat and was instead human again.

The cat gave her a look that told her that she was being ridiculous.

Emma straightened her jacket and cleared her throat. "Let's do this."

The cat gave her a nod.

There was a knock at the door and Emma looked at Maleficent. The older blonde flicked her wrist lazily and the door swung open. David stood there, scratching his head in confusion as he eyed the door.

"Do come in, Sheriff." Maleficent said dryly as she walked around the desk and perched herself at the edge of it. "I don't want this visit to go on much longer than it needs to."

"We said we were sorry." He said stepping inside.

Maleficent scoffed. She held the cat in one arm and stroked the length of the cat's body with the other hand. David eyed the motion warily, clearly concerned about a villain holding their little girl. "As if that could fix the damage you've caused."

David sighed. Emma stepped aside so her father could see holographic Regina. When he got a glimpse of her sitting at the desk, brow raised and fingers locked together and hands atop the desk, his brows shot up.

"Regina." He said walking up to the desk.

'Regina' raised a brow. "It's nice to see you too, David."

David frowned. "Where the hell have you been? We were worried sick."

The hologram raised both brows and her eyes widened. Clearly Regina was surprised by this. "I... um... I'm taking some time for myself. I mean, after everything, I just need-"

He raised a hand. "I get it. I totally get it. I do." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I thought something happened... are you feeling uhh... okay?"

"I'm fine." Regina said. "Physically. Just tired."

He nodded. "Got it."

Regina nodded. Maleficent was glaring at the Prince and you could cut the tension with a knife. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Look... um..." He said slowly. "Okay, well I won't keep you. I'm sure you have other things to do today..." he started backing up towards the door, trying to put some distance between him and the dragon woman. "I'm glad you're okay. Look, if you need anything... don't hesitate."

Human Regina smiled. "Thank you, David." He nodded. "Oh and David," he looked at her. "Tell Henry not to worry that everything's okay."

He nodded again. "You got it. I'll let you get back to it." Regina nodded. He turned to Emma. "Coming?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Gimme a sec."

"Got it." He said turning to leave. "Have a good one." He looked at the blonde dragon. "Maleficent." He received nothing but an eye roll in response. He sighed then left the office.

Emma released a nervous breath once she no longer heard the sound of his shoes. "Wow that was almost too easy."

"You're dealing with professionals, Dear." Maleficent said pushing off the desk. She walked over to Emma and put the cat in her arms. She petted Regina's head one last time before heading back to the desk.

She leant over the desk and with a snap of her fingers the hologram was engulfed in a cloud off black smoke. When it cleared it was gone.

"That was so weird." Emma said. Maleficent looked over at her with a bored expression.

"Yes, well now it's over." She said dryly. "So I guess you'll be on your way?"

Emma sighed picking up on the obvious brush off. "Yeah... I suppose so. Thanks again."

Maleficent hummed before settling into the chair. Her deep blue eyes flickered towards the door. "Have a lovely day, Sheriff."

* * *

Emma sat at her desk as she watched Regina play with a foil ball that she had made out of a wrapper from an old burger. The cat was hitting it back and forth then chasing it across the table. She would pounce on it and hit it again.

Emma couldn't help herself when she scooped up the ball when it came her way. Regina just looked too cute playing like that. She wanted a little of her attention. The cat looked up at her with big brown eyes as if asking if she could have her toy back.

Emma smiled and nodded. "Yeah sure you can. Come here first." The cat did what was asked of her but most likely because she wanted her toy back. Emma picked her up and held her close. She began scratching behind the cat's ear. "You are so soft. I think you may even be warmer and softer than the average cat."

The cat began purring and rubbing her furry cheek against Emma's hand. "Seriously though. So damn cute. It's not fair."

The cat kept her eyes closed as she began purring louder. Emma kept up her scratching, moving her fingers to right underneath the cat's chin. The cat tilted her chin upward giving Emma more room. Emma chuckled and obliged.

The office was quiet mostly, with the sounds of Regina's soft purrs filling the air. Emma leaned back in the chair, bringing Regina with her, still holding her close. The queen laid her furry cheek on her chest and just let herself get scratched.

The cats breathing was beginning to even out, given the fact that she was falling asleep. Emma tried not to laugh at the cat falling asleep so easily. She was like a baby. She honestly didn't know who was worse, her or Neal. Both could fall asleep in a matter of seconds.

That thought was cut short, when a bird landed on the windowsill. A little blue bird, which usually visits Emma. She supposed it's a family thing. As usual, the bird began singing.

The cats eyes instantly sprung open and she froze. Her head popped up. When she saw the bird, her eyes widened and she began wiggling in Emma's grasp. "No." Emma said. "The window is closed anyway."

The cat huffed grumpily but settled back against Emma.

Emma sighed. Maybe they both could use a little exercise. Emma felt herself getting way too lazy. She couldn't remember the last time she worked out. They could go on a little walk. It was a nice sunny day they could go out and enjoy it for about fifteen minutes then come back and take a nap. Then clock out when they wake up. Yep that's it. Exercise.

"Let's go." Emma said standing abruptly, ignoring the cat's look of confusion.

* * *

Emma sat Regina down in a soft patch of grass. The cat looked up at her with wide brown eyes. Emma stared down and crossed her arms. "What?" she asked.

 _What? What? Last time you set me down on the ground I was almost eaten by a rabid Dalmatian that's what._

Emma grinned. "Awww look." Before Regina could react, a little white butterfly flew over to her. Her brown eyes widened when it lighted on her little black nose. It looked her square in the face. Her eyes crossed as she stared back into its face.

She shivered as she really looked at it. It's huge black eyes and antenna. It looked like a martian. Sure butterflies are beautiful from a distance but upclose... Not so much. It just looked like a large fuzzy worm with wings.

She scrunched her nose and the butterfly shifted as not to fall off. It's tiny legs tickling her nose. She scrunched it again and wiggled it. The butterfly held fast. It's eyes boring into hers.

She heard a click and her eyes shifted to the side to see Emma with her phone out, taking a picture. She huffed in frustration.

 _Of course you would take a picture instead of helping me. And here I thought you weren't completely useless like your idiot parents. Apparently I'm wrong._

Regina turned her attention back to the butterfly that seemed distracted by staring at her. _Be gone beast. Shoo. Go._

She shook her head and the butterfly flew off of her but hovered above her. Her cat reflexes automatically wanted to reach for it but she fought it off.

 _Nope, nope, nope. I am not going to chase. For once, I am going to behave like the queen I am._ She huffed and looked away.

"Look at that, Gina." Emma said taking more pictures. "You made a little friend."

Regina narrowed her little eyes into slits. _Good. I need someone to replace you when I dump you as my friend._

"Don't look at me like that. You are so cute." Emma said with a pointed look.

 _And you, Sheriff Swan, are irritatingly... adorable. Ugh._

Obviously giving up, the butterfly landed on a nearby yellow flower. Regina's eyes darted to it. She watched as it's wings flapped as it moved around the flower. Before she could stop herself she lowered herself to the grass. Her tail was moving slowly as she prepared herself.

 _No, you are not going to pounce on that poor thing._

The butterfly hopped to another flower and Regina lowered herself closer to the ground. She wiggled her back legs focusing all of her attention on the insect.

 _Oh screw it._

She launched herself towards the flower, the butterfly of course was quicker and flew away and lighted onto another flower. She landed directly on the flower. Her paws covering it. She removed one paw and then the other. She huffed when she was only greeted with a squashed daisy.

She stared with wide eyes. _I could've sworn..._

"Awww, better luck next time."

Regina glared up at Emma. _I know you're trying to help but staying out of this is your best bet._

Her hypersensitive ears heard wings flapping. She turned her attention from Emma and followed the sound. There perched on another flower was the butterfly.

 _There you are. Now don't make this any more difficult than it has to be._

She pounced again just to miss the butterfly. It landed on her head that time. She looked around for a moment. _Where did it go?_

She looked up at the sound of Emma's laughter. She tilted her head in question. Emma lowered herself so that she was looking directly at the cat. She lifted her phone up and snapped another picture.

 _Emma, now's not the time to take pictures. Help me find it. I lost it. God damn it, I mean..._

She trailed off when Emma turned the phone around and showed her her own picture. There was the little critter. Sitting there on top of her head. She huffed and Emma giggled.

Regina shook her head and it flew away and she took off chasing it. It zigzagged and she stayed hot on its trail. Every now and then she would leap up and snap her jaws at it trying to catch it. The butterfly of course would effortlessly dodge it.

She chased it back and forth on the patch of grass. It looped and twirled in the air as if it was playing with her.

 _I hate how much I'm enjoying this._

She followed the butterfly to a flower it landed on. She pounced and it dodged her. Their game continued for a while longer with Emma just watching on with her camera recording a video for Snow.

Eventually the running and jumping, mixed with her heavy coat tired Regina out and she stopped. She rolled over onto her back in the soft green grass with her paws in the air. She let the sun shine on her as she tried to catch her breath.

 _Wow that was a workout._

The butterfly came back and landed on her nose. Her eyes crossed as she looked at the offending little insect.

 _Pardon me but could you not..._ She sighed. _Nevermind_.

They both just laid there. Regina with her eyes closed and the butterfly watching her closely. Clearly curious about its new friend. This creature obviously must had come over with one of the curses because of the way it was so trusting of other creatures. It was more like the butterflies in the Enchanted Forest, given its friendly personality. The butterflies from this world were skittish and weren't exactly fond of humans.

The butterfly flew off of Regina's nose and over to Emma as if to say hello. It hovered in front of her face for a moment before flying back to the cat. It hovered above her and twirled in the air as if trying to get the cat's attention.

 _Okay, okay, I'm up._ The cat sat up and shook her thick coat out. The butterfly took off and the cat followed it.

It flew up and down again. It twirled in the air as the cat chased it. It eventually landed on a flower. The cat pounced on it, covering it with her paws. She removed one and saw a wing.

 _Gotcha!_

She removed her other paw and before the butterfly could fly away, she lowered her face to it and snapped her jaws shut.

"Regina!" Emma screamed. "What the hell? You ate it?"

 _Yes, Emma_. The cat continued to chew her temporary friend. _I expected it to be disgusting but it's actually quite tolerable._

"Gross. That's cruel even for you, Regina." Emma sighed and placed her hands on her hips as she gave the cat a disapproving look.

 _Oh hush up, Emma. It was just a butterfly. It wasn't your little brother or something who by the way smells very delicious when he has milk around his face._

The cat just gave Emma a bored look. "You can't just go around eating living things, Regina. That's murder."

 _Are you going to arrest me, Sheriff? Find some itty bitty cat handcuffs and put me in a cat carrier?_

Emma lowered herself again so that she could look the cat in the eyes. "And you don't even look sorry."

 _Because I'm not._

Emma shook her head and reached for the cat. Regina simply tilted her head. _What, you're going to frisk me for illegal catnip? I can assure you I am not carrying any illegal substances in my coat._

Emma scooped the cat up and held her close to her chest. She stood up. "That's enough outside for you, you little homicidal maniac. Geez my cat is a cannibal."

 _Technically I am not a cannibal since that butterfly is not of the same species as I am. Secondly a cat is a predator. Why are you surprised by this?_

Emma scratched behind Regina's ear as they headed back to the station. Regina rubbed her head on Emma's chin in response.

"I can't believe you ate that cute little butterfly." Emma muttered as she opened the door.

 _Well I can't believe you turned me into a cat. See how that works?_ Regina thought bitterly as they slipped back into the station.

* * *

 **That poor butterfly. What a tragedy, I love butterflies. :(**

 **Thanks for reading this mess of a chapter. See ya at the next update. The play date is next I believe but yeah.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, Sorry for the delay but I've been feeling... _uninspired?_ With this one for a while. but I couldn't keep you guys hanging for much longer so I pushed myself to update this chapter. :) Thanks for being patient with me and sticking around! I really appreciate that. *heart emoji***

 **I guess there was a time jump. Maybe a day or two. In case you're wondering.**

 **But here it is!**

 **Sorry for mistakes, as always Regina's thoughts are in italics and I own nothing.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

 _Oh no_. Regina thought.

What a way to be woken up. She had forgotten to make a trip to the litter box before bed and well... she was paying for it now. She just wanted to sleep. She felt too lazy to get up and move around but it was either that or... and she didn't think Emma Swan would like that very much. She stood up and shook her fur out. She looked down at Emma and had an overwhelming need to leap up on her and knead her like there was no tomorrow but no. She had a mission. Get downstairs without being seen, use the litter box and get back upstairs to curl up with Emma and enjoy the rest of their lazy Saturday doing absolutely nothing.

 _I like her a lot better this way. I just want to..._

 _No!_ She scolded herself. _No. Don't you dare._

Regardless, she kept staring at Emma's beautiful face. _So pretty_. She thought. _No. What the hell?! Stop it. No!_

 _But what if I just..._

 _No, will you just stop._

Emma looked so peaceful and warm, she wanted to cuddle some more. _ugh fine_. She thought. She lowered her head and rubbed her furry cheek against Emma's. As soon as she made contact she began purring. There was just something about Emma that made her purr like crazy.

 _That's quite embarrassing..._

Regina continued to rub her face against Emma. Her purring intensifying. _This is nice. This is wonderful_. She thought as she started rubbing her cheek all over Emma's face.

Emma hummed. She reached up and began stroking the cat's fur. Her eyes remained closed and she was still half asleep as her gentle hand stroked the length of the cat's back. Regina's purring only increased and she arched up to meet Emma's hand each time. Emma stopped and scratched at that spot right before her tail.

 _Oh that's lovely._

She rubbed her cheek against Emma's again.

"Oh..." Emma chuckled. "What's up?" She muttered in that sexy, sleepy voice that just does something to Regina. Not that she'd ever admit it.

Emma's eyes opened slowly. The cat stopped. She froze and her eyes widened. Their faces were only inches apart. She could see every freckle on Emma's fair skin. Emma smiled at seeing her even in that form.

"Morning."

The cat tilted her head. _Good morning, Sheriff. Now if you could kindly unlock the door so that I could use the lavatory, that would be greatly appreciated._

Emma stretched and sat up on her elbows. "What do you need? Hungry?"

The cat shook her head. _Well, I am a little but that could wait._

She pulled away from Emma and ran across the bed. She leapt down onto the floor and trotted to the door. She looked back at Emma to see her watching her then turned back to the door and began scratching at it softly. She looked back at Emma and saw her confused expression.

The cat sighed. _For the love of the gods, Emma Swan. Unless you want to be cleaning up a cat made puddle open this door, right now!_

She looked back at the door again. She scratched at it some more. She added some cute little meows. _Come on, Emma!_

"Oh." Emma said and Regina heard the bed move. She looked back and saw Emma standing and stretching. Emma immediately headed over to the door. "Why didn't you just say so?" Emma chuckled as she pulled the door open.

Regina glared at Emma then slipped out of the room. _Hah free at last. Bathroom here I come!_

"Come right back." Emma said behind her. "It's too early for us to get up and I wanna get some more sleep."

Regina completely ignored Emma and dashed down the hallway. Her little legs carrying her to the staircase. Luckily for her she had mastered them. She hopped down each step and landed on on the ground floor with a flourish.

 _Regina, you are fantastic._ She thought to herself. She shook her coat out and pranced across the apartment to the bathroom where the door was cracked. She slipped inside. The room of course was dark but her eyes quickly adjusted.

 _Can I keep some of these cat abilities?_

She thought as she headed for her litter box. _Hello, old friend._

* * *

Regina left the bathroom with a pep in her step. She felt relaxed and she could go back upstairs and sleep the day away with Emma, where she belonged. She had been getting used to these lazy days. She found that she liked them and she blamed Emma.

She trotted across the room towards the staircase. She began climbing the stairs. Naps and Emma Swan on her mind.

"Good morning, pretty girl." Regina flinched at the sound of the voice. She didn't have to turn around to know that she was in danger. She tensed when she felt hands around her tummy and she was lifted from the step she was on.

 _Come on, Snow. Give me a break. Please not today._

She felt herself pressed against Snow's front. She had to struggle not to squirm. She just wanted to go back upstairs and snuggle in bed with Emma but once again, Snow White was in the way of her happiness.

"Now you have a play date today, Bella. My beautiful girl." Snow cooed. "Your guests will be here at any moment. You slept much too late. Sleepy girl."

 _No_. Regina fussed. _No. Put me down. I want to sleep some more. I am a cat. I am always tired._

"Come on, we have got to get you ready."

 _Ready? I'm a cat. I'm already wearing clothes, I despise water and I've already used the litter box. How are you going to get me ready?_

Snow carried Regina back to the the couch. Regina's eyes widened when she saw the scraps of material laying across the couch.

 _No._ She began squirming that time. _No costumes. No. Leave me alone. I'm already wearing a beautiful lavish fur coat, what more do you want?_

"It's going to be okay." Snow soothed, trying to calm the distressed feline.

 _No, it's not_.

"You're going to look so cute in the little outfit I've gotten you."

 _I'm going to look ridiculous as always._

"There might be a toy in it for you."

Her ears perked up. _A toy? Is it a new catnip teddy?_

"It might be something you like very much."

 _Fine. I'll be good but it had better be a catnip teddy._

Snow sat down with the cat on the couch. Snow carefully brushed the cat, something that Regina only liked when Emma did but she had to admit that it did feel good. Regina pouted as the woman carefully dressed her. This dress was less heavy than the others but she still felt silly.

The look was completed with a huge rhinestoned bow and a sparkling diamond collar. _At least the collar is fit for a queen._ Snow sat the cat down beside her and admired the cute little animal. Regina rolled her eyes as Snow fussed with her bow and collar some more.

"So pretty." Snow cooed. "Wait till Emma sees how pretty you look."

Regina rolled her eyes. She mentally scoffed. _As if I care what that pleather wearing idiot thought. Wait, do you think she'll like it?_

Snow scratched behind the cat's ear and stood up. "I'mma go get ready myself. There's some cream in the kitchen for you."

The cat just looked up at Snow with an indifferent expression. _Okay, don't hurry back._

"I'll be right back." The woman said and was on her way.

Snow exited the room and Regina sighed in relief. She looked back at the stairs and wondered if she could make it to the safety of Emma's arms before Snow caught her. Probably not, especially with this ten pound dress. She wouldn't make it.

She sighed and groaned internally. _Well, Snow White, it appears that you are just hellbent on tormenting me._

The cat shook her head and laid down on her tummy. She tucked her front paws underneath herself. Maybe she could get a nap before her entire life becomes a complete living hell.

Again...

She nodded at that. She yawned a wide cat yawn then closed her eyes. In a minute she had drifted off without a care in the world.

It's a cat thing.

* * *

She awoken by a soft sigh of "There you are." And she was suddenly lifted up into strong arms. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at Emma. She looked half asleep as well. She shifted Regina so that she could cover her mouth to yawn. "You never came back to bed."

 _Oh is that so?_ The cat rolled her eyes _. I was too busy being tortured by your mother yet again._

"Nice outfit." Emma said with a sleepy chuckle. She held the cat out, with her hands under her front legs and the cat's body dangling in midair, to get a better look at her costume. The cat huffed and rolled her eyes. "You look so cute."

 _You know what, Emma, there was a time when you, Henry, and Neal were the only members of the Charming brood that I actually liked. Now we're down to just Henry and Neal._

Regina began squirming. _And stop holding me under my legs like that. It's uncomfortable._

"Okay, okay," Emma grumbled holding the cat against her again. She began scratching the cat's cheek and kissed the top of her head. "Let's get you out of this thing and back to bed."

"Where are you going?" They heard a voice ask from. They looked around and saw no one.

"God?" Emma asked only half joking. The cat rolled her eyes.

Snow stepped into the living room out of nowhere and both Emma and Regina flinched.

"What are you doing with her?" Snow asked.

 _The savior is finally doing her job._ The cat thought. _She's rescuing me from you._

"Um... i'm taking the cat with me back to bed." Emma said simply and began going up the stairs. But Snow was not finished

"She can't go back to sleep, she has guests coming." Snow sighed. "They'll be here soon."

Emma frowned and so did the cat. "What do you mean soon? It's like..." She looked at her wrist but of course there was no watch there.

"It's almost one o'clock." Snow said crossing her arms. Emma turned to her mother and eyed her, hitting her with an completely unapologetic look.

"It's the weekend, mom." She whined. "No one keeps track of the time because who cares."

Snow shook her head and sighed. "Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean it's time for you to crawl under a rock."

Emma and the cat both rolled their eyes and huffed. "Mom..." She groaned. "That's exactly what that means."

Snow opened her mouth to argue some more but the sound of the doorbell cut her off.

 _Saved by the bell yet again._ Regina thought.

Snow smiled, her face full of excitement, then looked at the cat to address her. She looked more excited than she should have been. It's a cat's playdate for God's sake. "Your guests are here!" She singsonged.

 _Snow White, do you really have to be so extra?_ Regina thought bitterly _._

Emma groaned and the cat bristled. Snow looked up at her daughter and tapped her nose with her finger. "Fix your face. We have guests." She then turned and walked towards the door, completely unaware of the two glaring at her back.

"Mom, where is dad and the guys?" Emma asked behind her mother. Henry would have been up by now.

"David took Henry to the station with him and Neal is napping." Snow replied simply as she reached the door. "Now get it together." She ordered.

Regina and Emma shared a look.

Snow pulled the door open unveiling an older woman with a phony smile and huge basket hanging off of her arm.

"Hello, Snow White." The woman said politely but completely disinterested..

"Hello Sarah." Snow said in that happy tone she always does with everyone. Regina had no idea how this woman was so happy all of the damn time. Snow opened the door wider and stepped aside to let the woman in. "Come on in."

The woman nodded and stepped inside. She instantly looked over the apartment with a subtle judgmental expression. Regina bristled. Regina is the only one who gets to judge the Charmings. Who does this peasant think she is?

"Can I take your sweater?" Snow asked.

"Oh thank you, Dear." The stuffy woman replied and slipped out of her sweater and handed it to Snow who carefully hung it up.

Regina had half a mind to claw the cheap, wool thing with her sharp claws.

The woman then let her eyes rake over Emma's barely clothed form. Skimpy short shorts and a tight tank that barely reached the top of the shorts exposing, Emma's tight toned midriff. It was a delightful sight for anyone but apparently not Sarah because once again there was that snobby judgemental expression.

 _I'm really beginning to dislike her_. Regina thought.

"This is my daughter." Snow said quickly. she headed over to Emma and stood beside her.

The woman still had her nose turned up. "Oh yes the savior..."

Emma bristled that time and Regina in turn did as well. Emma was more than the savior but they would expect that from a stuck up bitch like her.

"Emma, this is Miss Sarah." Snow introduced the two women. "She's a teacher at the school."

Emma nodded and waved. "How's it going?"

The woman forced a smile which looked more like a snarl. "Very well, thank you, Dear."

Regina shook her head. _What a bitch._

Sensing the discomfort, Snow cleared her throat awkwardly. "And this is our little Bella. Our pretty girl." She said stroking the cat in her daughter's arms.

The woman gave the cat one of those disapproving looks then cleared her throat. "She'll do. They're only playing. It's not like they're breeding or anything."

Snow and Emma shared a look. Emma rolled her eyes while Regina glared at the woman. _How dare her even imply I'm not good enough. I am royalty. I'm far better than that mutt you have... you should be honored that a cat with immaculate genes such as myself would even give your dirt bag the time of day._

Snow cleared her throat. Clearly the awkwardness and tension was becoming too much for her. "Um... Sarah, would you like some tea?"

"Yes." The woman said. "Thank you."

Snow nodded and scooped the cat out of Emma's arms. She noticed how the cat tensed and gave her a quick comforting squeeze before setting her down on the floor.

Regina felt instantly disrespected. She turned around and looked up at Emma. She tilted her head in question. Emma looked down and shrugged.

 _Pick me up, idiot. I don't want to be down here_. She put her front paws on Emma's leg and pawed at her bare skin. She meowed softly and tapped Emma's leg.

"No," Snow said sternly at both the cat and her daughter. "She needs to meet her new friends." She turned to the older woman who was watching the interaction between the two with her nose turned up. "Bella has a little separation anxiety when it comes to Emma."

"Yeah. She loves me but who could blame her, right?" Emma said with a wink. The other woman looked appalled by the provocative gesture.

Regina glared up at Emma. The blonde sheriff just looked down and winked at her too. Regina rolled her eyes. _Oh you think you're so hot, Emma Swan. With your long toned legs, tight stomach and pretty green eyes. Those eyelashes and those dimples and those... kissable lips. Guess what-_ Regina stopped herself mid thought. _What the hell am I thinking? Just because Emma is beautiful, doesn't mean that... urgh! Stop it, Regina!_ She rolled her eyes and hit Emma's leg then turned away. _Idiot_. She thought grumpily.

"Tea?" Snow asked suddenly, repeating her earlier question. Sarah tore her eyes away from the cat for a moment and looked up at Snow.

"Yes, shall we?" The woman replied with a polite dip of her head. Apparently she was restricted to polite gestures and could not venture into actual acts of kindness. She sat the basket down onto the floor.

Snow smiled and began leading their new guest to the dining table. Emma used her foot to push Regina across the floor, a little closer to the basket.

Regina continued to glare up at the Sheriff for just pushing her aside like that and everything else she had done for the past couple of days but a sound coming from behind her startled her and drew her attention. She followed the sound. It was coming from the straw basket. She looked at it for a moment longer and the noise did not repeat itself, so she sighed in relief and turned to Emma. _Oh and another thing, Miss Swan, if you think- A_ loud bang cane from the basket. She jumped and turned back to it.

 _Okay this is new._ She thought. She leaned in and smelled the basket. She had no idea why but she couldn't help herself. She smelled something new but familiar. It was like fur and another distinct smell that she could not place. She leaned in closer to get a better look but the lid opened slowly. Regina leaned back and watched as a head popped out and she was met with the pale blue eyes and the white and gray face of a Siamese cat. She tilted her head as she stared.

 _Aren't you cute! Hello there. I wonder if this is what I smelled._ She leaned in to investigate but just then another head popped out. Startled yet again, she leapt into the air and screeched. She landed back on the floor. _Nope_. Her claws scraped across the hard wood floor as she tried to run away from the two headed creature.

 _Oh my god that thing has two heads._ She thought as she darted across the living room towards Emma where she was seated on the couch. She leapt straight into Emma's lap.

"Whoa!" Emma said in surprise. "What's wrong?" She asked gathering the cat into her arms. Regina was still bristled up and tense. Her tail was wide and fluffier than ever. She was breathing heavily and her chest was heaving.

 _That beast has two heads. Look_. She thought then got frustrated when she remembered that Emma couldn't hear her.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, look." Emma said stroking the cat's coat.

 _Yeah, easy for you to say..._

Regina looked over to make sure it was going to stay in its place. Her eyes widened when she saw a cat climbing out of the basket and on to the floor. It shook its coat out and stretched. Then another right behind it climbed out and did the same. _Oh my_. She chuckled in her head. _They're regular cats. Two bodies, two heads. My cat mind with it's paranoia and irrational fears. Oh dear..._

She looked up at Emma. Emma simply smiled at her. _Okay..._ Regina rubbed her head against the blonde sheriff's chin. _I'm okay now. I just overreacted._

"Feeling better?" Emma asked.

The cat nodded. _Yes._

"Alright then." Emma said. She started taking the cat's costume off. She sat it down beside them. "Go have fun. Tire them out so they could go home and take their snobby owner with them."

Regina shook her head in amusement. She looked over at the cats as they walked around and explored the apartment. Sniffing this and that. They looked sophisticated enough.

 _Let's just get this over with._

She leapt down from Emma's lap and headed towards the cats. The bell on her collar jingling with each step. They heard her approaching and turned to her. Two pair of identical eyes gazed into hers and watched her expectantly.

 _Hey there._

Both cats tilted their heads at her. She did the same. They sniffed the air in her direction. She took that opportunity to check their collars. One read 'Si' and the other read 'Am'.

 _Wow Siamese cats named Si and Am. How original?_ She rolled her eyes.

One of the cats began stepping closer to her. She watched him closely. _Okay, no funny business buddy. Don't even think about getting fresh._

He sniffed her again until his nose bumped hers. He leaned back then and tilted his head. He looked her over and must have decided that she was good enough because he meowed at his friend to come say hello. The other cat did the same. He sniffed her then sat at stared.

 _Uh... okay? Um..._

They all just sat there for a moment, having a very awkward and uncomfortable staring contest. She looked back at Emma who had turned the television on and was lazily flicking through the channels. She rolled her eyes then looked at Snow and her guest, who seemed completely engrossed in their conversation. Now Regina was not exactly excited about spending time with cats but she figured the quicker she got it over with, the quicker they could go home and she could spend all of her time with Emma.

 _You two are utterly ridiculous_.

 _You want to play?_ She asked. _I mean, we might as well do something, right? Oh god, she sighed. I'm talking to cats. Is this what my life has come to?_ She stood and shook her fur out. She went over to some of her little fuzzy balls that she hadn't eaten yet. She picked one and nudged it with her nose pushing it across the room to the other cats. She left the ball between the three of them and sat and waited. Si and Am looked down at the toy then back up at her. She tilted her head and looked at them. _Are you okay? Hello? Anything going on in there? There's no way you could resist this thing, it's amazing. Go on._

The cats shared a look then stared back at her. She sighed then, giving up. _You know, if you two want to sit there like a couple of statues that's fine but I have better things to do... even though I'm a cat and napping seems to be a full-time job for me._

She stood and turned. She trotted over to Emma. She looked back at Si and Am and saw them sharing a look. She shook her head and leapt up into Emma's lap again. She began purring just for attention. Emma instantly began petting her as she continued flicking through the television.

"Your new buddies are no fun, huh?" Emma chuckled. Regina looked up at her and rolled her eyes. Emma scratched behind her ear in response. The cat's eyes closed and the purring resumed. Emma chuckled and Regina's eyes flew open. The cat hit her with a death glare. Emma laughed. "Don't be like that."

 _Like what? Irritated, annoyed, angry? I can't help that. This is your fault by the way._

Emma grinned and just continued petting her. _If this didn't feel so good I would have already bitten you_. She cracked one eye open to see the other two cats very carefully and cautiously exploring the house again. They kept checking to see if they were being watched, they were obviously up to something. Completely disinterested as to what they were up to, she closed her eyes again and laid down in Emma's lap.

Regina snuggled closer to Emma enjoying her warmth. She began to relax and Emma's fingers continued to work their magic. Regina sighed in contentment. That was honestly the best part of the day. Just her and Emma, peace and-

A high pitched ringing caused the cat to jump and nearly tumble to the floor but Emma caught her. The cat's eyes were wide and her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath. It felt like a church bell was banging around in her head. Emma gathered her and held her close with one arm and she fished out her phone with the other.

 _What the hell! Why is everything so loud? Doesn't anyone realize I'm small and most things are scary?_

Emma quickly answered it. "What's up, Dad?"

Regina watched as Emma's facial expressions changed from confused to concerned to annoyed. She had no idea what Charming was saying but it did not seem good. "Okay fine." Emma whined. "I'll be there in ten."

She hung the phone up and let out a long irritated sigh.

"Something happened at the station and my dad needs me. Henry's fine though." Emma explained. She lifted the cat gently and sat her down beside her on the couch. "I'll run, change and get my keys then we'll go."

The cat nodded. Emma nodded in return before standing and dashing up the stairs. Regina was slightly curious about what happened but she didn't exactly care. The highlight of this situation was that she was getting out of this weird play date just to spend more time with Emma. She looked over at the cats. She could smell them. The smell wasn't exactly strong like a dog but it was there.

The cats were still exploring, peeking here and there. Tiptoeing and spying. They appeared to be sneaky but all cats are sneaky. She didn't trust them. What was even more off putting was that everywhere one went, the other went as well. It was like they were magnets or something. She rolled her eyes at the two odd cats. At least she wouldn't have to worry about what they were up to any more.

This day was really looking up.

Emma came barreling down the stairs, dressed in skin tight jeans and her boots. Her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail. She looked absolutely perfect and Regina couldn't take her eyes off of her. She watched the sheriff as she walked over to the coat hanger and grabbed her red leather jacket.

"Something happened at the station." Emma explained to her confused mother. "Dad was very vague but I have to go check in."

Snow nodded. "Of course."

Emma then headed over to the couch to pick up the cat. Before she could even lift her Snow's voice cut in.

"Nope. She's staying here. She's developing separation anxiety. Some time away would do her good. By the way she has friends here."

 _Friends?_

"Mom, they're cats." Emma whined and Regina nodded in agreement.

 _Oh god, Snow. Animal play dates are your thing. Remember your tea parties with the neighboring wild life when you were a girl?_

"Emma..." Snow warned. Emma glared at her mother and let the cat go. She began backing up.

"I'll be right back."

 _No Emma don't leave me_. She meowed and leapt down from the couch. Her little paws carried her to the door. Her little coller was tinkling with each step. The sound of her approaching caused Emma to look down. She frowned and crouched down so that she could look into the cat's eyes.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She whispered. "Be good." At that she petted the cats head and stood.

Regina felt an overwhelming sense of doom wash over her. Emma was leaving. Emma doesn't leave. Emma stays. What was she supposed to do while she was gone besides miss her?

 _No._ Regina whined in her head as she watched Emma turn the knob. Her eyes widened. _Oh no this is really happening. She's leaving. What do I do?_ She began panicking. _What if she doesn't come back for hours?_ She gasped mentally. _Days!_

With one last reassuring smile, Emma slipped out of the door, closing it behind her.

Regina suddenly felt her heart break as soon as the lock clicked. _She abandoned me? What if she doesn't come back? What If I have to miss her forever? Emma, please come back._

She began pawing at the door and meowing. They were sad yet urgent meows, hoping that Emma would hear her and come back. She sat there and did that for some time. She was unsure how long but it didn't appear to be working. Emma was long gone. Regina sighed and gave up. She opted for walking around the house. More like moping.

To say she was devastated would be an understatement.

 _How dare her leave me behind. If I don't survive this, it'll be all her fault_

She turned around looking for her new friends. She spotted them and they seemed to be up to something. They peeked at the women sitting at the table. Once they saw that the coast was clear they headed towards Snow's bedroom.

 _Sneaky little... what are you doing?_

Regina's ears laid down and she began following them. Oh hell no, they were not going to just walk around this apartment. Besides Neal was in there. She did not want them anywhere near him. She looked back at Snow and her guest to see them completely oblivious and too wrapped up in their own uninteresting conversation.

She growled at them then huffed when they still hadn't noticed that. _Of course._ She thought grumpliy. _Now I'm the baby sitter_.

She trotted to the bedroom. It was always a long trip for her and that along with missing Emma made her extra grumpy. When she entered the room, what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.

There was one of the Siamese cats, standing on the railing of Neal's crib. It was hanging over, reaching for the child's bottle. The other cat was hanging from the curtains. Regina was appalled by what she was seeing.

 _Haven't you any home training?_

Regina bristled instantly. Her soft jet black fur spiking along her back. Her tail standing straight up.

She growled, the sound rumbling from deep within her chest. _How dare you!_ Her ears pulled back and her eyes narrowed. Without her knowing her back arched. She hissed hard. Both cats looked at her and their eyes widened in panic.

She stepped into the room walking sideways, doing an excellent impression of a pissed off crab. She tensed and hissed again. One of the cats leapt up in fear and landed back down into the crib on the baby's back.

 _You idiot._ Regina hissed again and stepped further into the room. The other two cats scrambled to get out of her way.

She used her strength to jump up onto the railing to check on Neal. Of course he was awake. A fully grown cat fell on him. He was frowning and his bottom lip was trembling as he tried not to cry. Regina recognized that face from both Emma and Henry who have gotten it from Snow. She didn't like it on those two and she certainly did not like it on Neal. She turned to the cat that had gotten back onto the railing. She growled at him. He hopped up again, this time when he scrambled to get away he almost tipped the crib.

He leapt off of the railing and ran over to the other cat. His twin slid down the curtains using his claws and tearing the beautiful floral curtains. She growled again and leapt from the crib onto the nightstand where they were. They leapt away from her and landed on the bed. Both sets of eyes looked back at her as if they were mocking her. She growled again. Anger filling her chest.

 _You stupid little..._

She leapt onto the bed and they both leapt away again onto the other night stand, knocking over a vase and clock, sending them crashing to the floor. Regina's heart stopped when it crashed. In turn she glared at them. They looked her directly in the eye as one of them used their paw to knock a glass picture frame off of the dresser. Her eyes narrowed when it shattered to the floor.

 _It's on now_.

The cats looked at each other then back at her as if daring her to do something. Regina growled and jumped on the table narrowly missing them. They took off running around the room. She chased after them, hot on their trails. Oddly enough in moments like this she felt like a real cat and that was scary. In the process a table lamp, a standing lamp and a jewelry box was broken. The pillows were strewn all over the bed. Regina planned to make them pay.

 _Oh when I catch you, I'm going to claw your eyes out._

Neal remained pretty quiet until a flower pot fell from the windowsill and broke. The sound must have been the last straw because the little boy began screaming at the top of his lungs. Regina stooped instantly and looked towards the crib. She wanted to go comfort him but she was busy plotting two murders. The hesitation was obviously her downfall because one of the cats pushed a pillow from the bed onto her, squishing her.

She hit the floor with an oomph.

 _I should have known better..._

Snow came rushing into the room. _Really? You're just hearing the commotion? Where were you when I needed you? Oh yeah, being useless!_

Snows mouth fell open when she looked around the room. "Oh god." She breathed as she took in the disaster that was once her bedroom.

Regina heard some pained meows and whining. She looked over to see the other two cats sprawled out on the floor as if they were injured. She rolled her eyes. _Fakers._

"Oh god." Ms. Sarah breathed as she came up behind Snow. "My poor babies!" She yelped as she went running over to the two phony felines. Regina rolled her eyes and just began wiggling from underneath the pillow. She let out a sigh of relief once she was free. She shook her fur out.

 _Since no one was going to help me anyway..._

She glanced towards Neal's crib and saw Snow standing there holding the child. She had a disappointed look on her face and the cat tried to scowl but instead she rolled her eyes and looked to the other cats. Ms. Sarah was glaring at her. Regina rolled her eyes and looked back to Snow who was still surveying the room.

 _I bet you're going to blame me for this._

"Well we are leaving." Ms. Sarah said as she stood with the cats tucked under her arms. They both gave Regina a snug look as they passed then went back to whining and crying. She growled. "I will not subject my boys to the brutality that that mutt has just shown."

Snow sighed. "She is usually so well behaved. I don't know what has gotten into her."

Regina's eyes blew wide. _You cannot be serious. You think I did all of this?_

"She is clearly a result of poor breeding." Sarah snipped.

 _Excuse you!_

"You will stop insulting my cat." Snow snapped. Everyone in the room was shocked into silence including the cats and the baby. "She may not be a purebred but she is a very smart, beautiful and sweet girl. She misbehaved, so what? I'm sure your cats are not perfect either!"

Ms. Sarah stared blinking at Snow for a moment. Clearly not expecting the sweet mild mannered mother to lash out. But no one messes with Snow White's family. After a moment the shock wore off then the rude old woman huffed and stormed out of the room. She could be heard stomping down the hall, then the front door was slammed shut.

 _Good riddance_. Regina thought. _What a bitch, am I right?_ She looked at Snow who was giving her a stern look. _What?_

Snow sat baby Neal down on the floor and the much calmer toddler waddled away. Regina watched him go. _Glad you're feeling better._

"Now." Snow said. "You see, I know you're a good girl but all of the evidence is pointing to you. Those cats got hurt, Bella." She bent over and lifted the cat.

Regina looked confused. _They were obviously pretending._

Snow held her close and began walking her out of the room. _Where are we going? Are we going to see Emma?_

"You see, you need a little time out. Not for long. Just so that you understand what you did was bad."

The cat huffed. _I didn't do anything!_

Snow stopped on their trip and looked at the big ball of black fur in her arms. Regina looked into her eyes expectantly. "Unless you finally want to speak to me and tell me what happened?"

The cat huffed and looked away. _No_.

"Fine." Snow sighed and they continued their walk.

Snow walked them into the bathroom. The cat instantly started wriggling and squirming in her arms. _No. This is not fair. I was trying to help. No! Free me, you idiot._ She had no idea why but she did not want to be locked in the bathroom.

But Snow didn't hear her of course and she kept walking. She walked Regina over to the bathtub where she sat her down on the rim. "Now you're going to stay. Think about what you've done, Bella."

 _Please don't leave me in here, Snow._ The cat stared up at her with those big adorable eyes.

"Don't start." Snow said sternly, unfazed.

Snow turned to leave but the cat meowed softly. Snow faltered in her steps but didn't turn around, she kept walking. Regina meowed again but Snow continued to ignore her until she shut the door behind her, leaving her all alone. Regina ran over to the door and meowed some more.

 _Of course it didn't work._

 _You know what Snow, you will never be the fairest in the land. I am!_

Regina growled. _You monster._

Regina began to pace back and forth in front of the door. Two minutes passed that felt like two hours to a cat. _Snow, you've never been good at keeping time and you're an excellent liar. I don't know which one it is in this case._

 _Emma had better come back soon. She will not get to cuddle with me because I'm mad at her._

 _Jerk_.

 _And how long is she going to leave me locked up anyway?_

The more Regina thought and paced, the angrier she became until she was growling. Soon she was full on raging. It wasn't fair. She was trying to stop them from destroying the house and hurting Neal but she gets locked up? She growled again.

 _This is all Emma's fault. If she hadn't left... This is her fault for abandoning me!_ She growled. Her anger was now directed at Emma.

She felt a breeze and she looked up towards the window. That's when she saw it. There was a large crack in the window. An idea hit her. She instantly no longer felt so angry. With her plan in mind, she walked over to the sink and leapt on it and used that to leap on to the windowsill.

Sure it was safe in there and unsafe out there but she'd rather be free. Emma had been gone for what felt like days and left her to fend for herself. She had forgotten about her and probably wasn't coming back. She could go. No more time out and she could do whatever she wanted.

She'd rather take her chances out there than stay inside and be punished for no reason and abandoned. She could take care of herself. She is a queen after all.

She looked back at the door one last time then held her head high as she slipped through the crack out onto the streets of Storybrooke.

 _Goodbye._

 _Idiots._

* * *

 **The cat inside of Regina took over in the ending there. lol.**

 **I just wanted to strangle Snow in this chapter. Omg.**

 **Just imagine cat Regina, scaling the building to get down. lol! Poor kitty. She's just a little angry right now and the cat took over so, she just needs some time to cool down. :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey! Sorry for the delay. I won't make excuses.**

 **Thanks for being patient with me!**

 **I own nothing. Sorry for mistakes. Enjoy.**

Chapter 10

With great concentration, Regina carefully scaled the windowsill. She was terrified of the long drop from the third story apartment but her anger at both Snow White and Emma Swan was driving her forward. She was furious at Emma for just leaving her and treating her like she was some kind of pet. She was not a pet. Sure she was cute and fuzzy but she is most certainly not a pet. She is a queen and she demands to be treated as such. That's why she's leaving. Maybe she could find someone who could treat her the way that she deserved and not like some common animal. Emma Swan had her chance and she blew it. Blew it big time when she left her in the care of that idiot Snow White. She growled, the tremors running through her tiny body. She reached the edge of the sill and she had to leap to the other one and then she could jump onto the next one. That one led to the fire escape and after that it would be easier to climb down.

She crouched down low and she steadied herself. She swished her tail from side to side as she eyed her destination. It wasn't a far jump and she knew she could do it. She was becoming more and more confident in her cat abilities. Without more hesitation, she leapt across the small gap. Her heart skipped a beat as she soared through the air but she landed onto the other surface with perfect poise. She shook her coat out and looked behind her. It was a long leap after all but she made it. She was getting pretty good at that cat stuff. She put her tail up into the air and strolled on with her head held high. She was proud of herself and for a moment her anger had gone. She shook her head and forced herself to remember Snow locking her away. Then just like that the rage was back.

 _How dare her choose those strangers over me. I'm her friend. She knows me. She knows I would never do anything to harm Neal._ She thought feeling a bit hurt.

Regina leapt onto the fire escape and began hopping down the rickety metal steps like she had done plenty of times in the Charmings' apartment. It should be a piece of cake but those steps where a lot steeper. She just paid close attention and was very careful and before she knew it she made it to the bottom step. She was still far away from the ground though. There was a ladder but she knew she could not reach that and even if she could, she could was not strong enough to pull it down to the ground. She looked around for somewhere to land on to cushion the drop, not particularly wanting to challenge the 'all cats land on their feet theory'. She spotted a flower bed on the sill of one of the bottom floor apartments. Her weight could likely ruin the flowers.

 _Oh well._

She jumped down and landed directly onto the beautiful little bed of daisies. She loved the smell and enjoyed it for a moment. She then walked through them before jumping out and landing on the concrete.

 _Now that's how it's done_. She thought. She stood on the sidewalk and looked in both directions. She hadn't exactly thought the whole thing through. Regina was notorious for acting before thinking. It has gotten her into trouble many times before. This incident obviously was not going to be any different. She didn't care though. She couldn't stay there with Snow White a moment longer. She needed to be as far away from her as possible.

She looked down the street. She recognized that direction. She could go that way to her office. She had no idea what time it was but she decided to head there. Maleficent would probably be there. Perhaps not with it being a weekend but she had to try.

 _Maybe Mal wouldn't abandon me and actually treat me like the queen I am._ Regina thought bitterly as she walked off down the street. Emma has been good to her but Regina didn't want to think about that too much because she was angry at her. The human in her was screaming that her anger was misdirected but she didn't care. At the moment the cat was winning out and that's why she was running away. Right then she wanted Emma to find out where she was and who she was with just to make her jealous. She never understood why Emma was so jealous of her friendship with Maleficent but it would work in her favor.

The cool concrete underneath the soft pads on her paws was uncomfortable and she really would have preferred to be carried. In fact Regina really liked being carried. She loved the way Emma tucked her beneath her arm and took her where she wanted to go.

 _If only Emma were here now._ She thought with a sigh. _No. Emma's not here because she left me._ She pouted then. She couldn't believe that Emma did that. She was too upset with her. What did Emma think would happen? Every time she left Regina alone with Snow White bad things happened.

She huffed and turned her nose up to the sky as her tail pointed straight up as well. She was going to walk down to town hall and stay there until Emma comes for her. She planned to give her a very hard time. She deserved nothing less.

She continued down the street. Her senses were wide open and she could smell and feel everything. The grass smelled so crisp and fresh and oh she loved the smells of all of the different flowers. She walked over to a patch of wildflowers and started to smell them but something caught her eye. It was a small orange butterfly. This one was not as large as the last but still just as pretty. She watched as it sat on the flower and flapped its wings. That really excited her and she crouched low to the ground.

 _Stay right there. Don't move._

She wagged her tail back and forth as she watched her unsuspecting victim. She readied her hind legs to pounce. She was just about to launch herself onto her prey when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The low buzzing sound was bouncing around in her head and she knew that sound well. She turned slowly and her eyes widened when she saw the little yellow and black, fuzzy insect perched on a flower right next to her. She screeched and jumped into the air.

 _A bee!_ She panicked.

The bee was immediately startled and went into defensive mode. It abandoned the flower and began buzzing around her, clearly looking for a good place to sting her.

 _Oh no, you don't!_

Regina leapt up and darted out of the small patch of flowers. Her little paws moving as quickly as they could. She could still hear the buzzing and she looked over her shoulder to see the mean little bug trying to land on her. She already knew what that meant. She had been stung by a bee before when she was a young child. She had to be no older than four. She was out playing in the field when she picked up a flower. She didn't know that was the same flower an angry bee wanted but she figured it out when she felt the sharp burning pain of the sting. She had felt many different pains after that but she could never forget that one.

She never wanted to experience that again.

She kept up an easy but quick pace nearly out running it. She sharply hooked a corner and raced down the street. She looked both ways and darted across the street. She just kept running and the bee stayed on her, clearly wanting nothing more than to sting her. She had no idea how long or how far she had run but she reached a completely different neighborhood. She ran passed the rows of quaint little houses. She was growing tired. She hadn't any idea how far she had traveled but even with her increased stamina and metabolism she was slowing down. She looked around for a route of escape. All she saw was fence after fence. She huffed in frustration. She couldn't let that thing catch her.

She raced down the block with the bee hot on her heels. It was obviously waiting for an opportunity to land on her so it could poke her with its stinger. Her eyes caught something and she sighed in relief. There was a fence but there was a small gap between it and the ground that she could easily squeeze under. She darted to the side really quickly and slid under the fence with ease. One thing she was beginning to learn as a cat was that once her head fit through something there was no problem for the rest of her body.

She looked behind her to see the bee was slowed down but she hadn't lost it. She took off running again just as it flew in through the tiny space between the fence. She rolled her eyes and continued to run across the lawn. She darted up the porch steps and that's when she saw it. Her route of escape. There was a small doggy door.

She knew that that was her only chance of evasion. She ran across the porch and she could hear the angry buzzing behind her. She ran up to the door and dove head first into the little slot. It gave way and she toppled into the house. She landed upside down on her head with her back leaned across the door. She was trying to catch her breath and calm her pounding heart. She's surprised that the damn thing hadn't exploded yet.

She rolled over until she was right side up again. She sat there wagging her tail as she watched the door making sure that the bee wouldn't bust in and sting her. After a few moments passed she began to relax. _Okay good_. She thought. She was safe. She turned around and looked at the nice but very modest home that she had broken into. She tilted her head and took it in. Most likely these people would not like to find a random cat in their home. What if they have a dog?

She stood up and went to push her head through the doggy door to check that the bee was gone so that she could be on her way. The next sound she heard sent a chill down her spine.

"Kitty?" A child's voice said. She froze and didn't turn around. She could hear the sound of little shoes hitting the floor as the child ran towards her. She froze in place too scared to move. Her little heart was hammering in her chest and the fur on her back stood. She knew that children equaled pain, but why couldn't she just run away? "Hi kitty."

She could feel the presence of the little child looming over her. She turned slowly to see a toddler no older than three looking down at her with a huge smile. The little girl's blonde hair was pulled into pigtails and she was absolutely adorable in her little denim jumper dress. Regina let go of her fear for a moment as she looked at the cute little child.

 _Hello there._ After a moment it clicked who the child was. That was Cinderella's daughter. Princess Alexandra. _Oh you are so cute._ She has seen the little girl around town and she thought she was so well behaved.

In a sudden movement the little girl's chubby hand reached out and she went to grab her. Regina tensed again and her fear was back. She instantly realized how much danger she was in. In her experience with Neal she learned that little hands meant pain. She squeezed her eyes shut as the child's hand hovered above her furry head. She felt a series of much too rough pats on her head.

"Pretty Kitty." Alexandra said with a small giggle. "Nice Kitty."

She petted Regina's head again that time a bit gentler. Regina peeked one eye open to see Alexandra kneeling in front of her. She opened her other eye. The little girl was smiling.

 _Aww._ Regina thought. She began to relax. Clearly this child was not going to hurt her.

Alexandra giggled again. Then her little hands shot out. All Regina could think was _oh no_ as the child reached out for her. Regina jumped to her feet then and started to back up to the doggy door to try and make a quick escape but Alexandra pounced on her and her little arms wrapped around her stomach then she was lifted from the floor. Regina wiggled and wiggled hoping the child would lose her grip but she was strong for a toddler. She was pressed to the little girl's shoulder like one would hold an infant.

 _Oh no. No, no, no, no_. She thought as Alexandra turned around and headed back the way she had came. Regina looked back at the doggy door as it became farther away. Her only chance of escape. Her only chance at freedom.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_ She thought as Alexandra turned a corner and the door vanished from sight.

That's when she knew she was really in trouble.

* * *

Emma clomped up the stairs of the apartment building until she hit the top landing. She was supposed to be off the clock but apparently the sleepy town doesn't sleep because she was stuck doing paper work for some kids caught shoplifting from Sneezy's pharmacy again. It took a while but she was done fairly quickly and she headed straight home after. Now she planned to take it easy and spend the rest of her day with Regina in the peace and quiet of her room where no one could disturb them. Regina would enjoy that.

Yes, Regina. Her best friend and the mother of her child. Hopefully their little guests were gone so that they could have some time alone.

Her relationship with Regina has shifted dramatically. Well, not exactly. Emma always felt an overwhelming need to be around Regina but Emma was pretty sure that Regina didn't feel the same. Now this cat version of Regina is always all over her and Emma would be lying if she said she didn't like the attention. Actually she loved it. She wanted to know where she stood with human Regina though. She wanted to know if the feeling was mutual. They needed to have a talk once Regina was back to her human self. Whenever that would be.

She let out a sigh as she stopped in front of her apartment. She quickly unlocked the door and carefully opened it in case Regina was sitting there still waiting. She heard her meowing, calling her back when she left her earlier and honestly she hated to leave her. It was difficult but she just reminded herself that it was Regina and Regina could take care of herself.

She peeked inside and to her disappoint there was no little ball of fur waiting for her. She sighed and stepped inside shutting the door behind her. As soon as she locked the door behind her, she was ambushed by her mother. The woman came seemingly out of nowhere carrying Emma's brother on her hip.

"Emma, good thing you're here." Snow said with a sigh.

"Why?" Emma was curious and worried. Her mother looked flustered and the cat was nowhere to be found. Emma went into immediate panic mode. Her mother killed her cat. That was the only explanation she could come to. "Where is-"

"She's in the bathroom." Snow said cutting her off. Emma let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least she was alive. "She's in time out. She was being a very bad girl today."

Emma's brows rose. She couldn't imagine Regina being a bad girl necessarily being a bad thing. "What did she do?" She asked as she shrugged out of her jacket. She hung it up.

"Well, for one, she and her guests destroyed my bedroom and nearly startled Neal to death." Snow explained. The little boy in her arms began squirming to get down. She let him down and he waddled off. Emma crossed her arms over her chest and eyed her mother.

"He looks fine now." Emma said with a shrug.

"Well yes, the cat has been locked up for a while. He's calmed down but you should have seen him then."

Emma shook her head. She watched her brother go to the bathroom door and knock with his tiny fist. He began calling, 'kitty come out'. She looked back at her mother. "Yeah he's completely traumatized." She rolled her eyes and brushed passed her. "I mean, seriously mom, no wonder she won't talk to you."

"Has she spoken to you?" Snow asked curiously as she followed her to the bathroom. "What did she say?"

"Nothing." Emma sighed as she rubbed at her forehead. She really just wanted to grab Regina and head upstairs away from her mother. Neal could come if he wanted but Emma has had enough of Snow White for one day and she's sure that Regina felt the same.

"Kit!" Neal said to Emma and his little hand tapped the door as if telling his big sister that the cat is locked up in there.

"Thanks buddy." Emma said as she passed him to open the door and free Snow White's little prisoner. "Okay, the warden says you're free to go." she announced as she pushed the door open.

She waited for the ball of black fur to pop up but when she didn't see anything she peeked inside. The bathroom was completely empty. Regina was not in there. Before panicking, Emma turned back to Snow. "Mom, are you sure the cat is in here?" she asked trying her damnedest to stay calm.

Neal slipped into the bathroom and stood in the middle of the room. He looked around with a frown. He looked back at his sister with a little pout on his face. "Kit kit, bye bye, Mema."

Emma nodded. "Yeah I know, kid." She looked at her mother and saw her glancing around the empty room.

"She was in here." Snow said firmly. "She was!"

"Well she's not, mom." Emma said seriously. "She's not here."

Snow sighed. "I see that, Emma."

"Oh do you?" Emma asked dryly and her mother gave her a look before going off to look for their missing cat in the living room. Emma shook her head and looked around the bathroom. Even if Regina had pulled a Houdini and escaped she would have come out to greet Emma. The whole situation was setting her on edge.

"She couldn't have gotten far." Snow mumbled as she looked under the coffee table. Just as the words left Snow's mouth Emma's eyes caught something that made her stomach sink. There was a little cat sized crack in the window. Surely Regina wouldn't... Oh she would if she was angry enough. Emma stepped into the bathroom. Her brother looked at her with his little brows furrowed as she passed him.

"What wrong, Mema?" He asked quietly, sensing that his sister was upset.

Emma walked over to the window. She opened it and looked out. She looked around and saw exactly how the cat could have escaped. She sighed and closed her eyes. She closed the window and stepped back.

"Mema." Neal said following her out of the room. He clearly didn't like being ignored. She knelt down and kissed his head.

"I have to go find the kitty." She told him. He nodded.

"She okay?" He asked.

Emma smiled. "Yes. She's tough."

He nodded. "Okay."

She gave him another smile and stood. She walked passed her mother who had stopped from searching underneath the couch to watch her. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"To find the damn cat." Emma grumbled low enough for her mother to hear and not her brother.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked getting to her feet. She followed Emma to the door.

"She got out." Emma said putting her jacket on. "You left the window open and she escaped."

Snow's hand went to her mouth and she gasped. "I didn't... oh no. I'm so sorry, Emma." Emma said nothing but grabbed the doorknob. "How are you going to find her?"

Emma sighed before turning to her mother. "I don't know." She said with a shrug. "Finding people is what I do. I'm sure it works on cats too. She hasn't gotten that far."

Snow nodded. "Do you want some help?"

"No." Emma said sharply. "You've done enough. I'll come back once I've found her."

At that she slammed the door behind her and stormed down the stairs. She should have felt slightly guilty about raising her voice but she didn't. Emma was furious. Not only with her mother but with herself as well. She felt that this whole thing was her fault. It was her fault that Regina was a cat and now she was out there in the world. Anything could have happened to her. Emma would never forgive herself if something bad happened to Regina. She needed to find her and soon. She needed her with her and safe.

She stepped out onto the street and shivered. It was getting late and it'll be cold soon. She needed to find Regina and quick. Once she does, she's never letting her out of her sight again.

She looked down the sidewalk trying to decide which way she would go. Regina would likely try to go home or her office. So she went towards Main Street. She decided to walk because that way she could see everything. She just hoped she found her soon and she was okay.

* * *

Regina sat at the little white table. Beside her on each side were a stuffed rabbit and a bear. Both were wearing tea time hats. On the table before them were four pink tea cups. A pink teapot and a saucer with a plate of real cookies. She looked up at her hostess. The little blonde girl was wearing a huge smile and a little blue hat. She had on white gloves and a little blue pretend dress. It was absolutely adorable. Moments like this really made Regina want a daughter.

She knew that if she made it out of there alive she would look into ways of getting another baby.

Alexandra offered the cat a cookie and sat it down in front of her. Regina looked down and sniffed it. It did smell nice but for some reason she had no desire to eat it. Which was strange but she chalked it up to just being a cat.

Alexandra started humming as she lifted the teapot and began pouring imaginary tea into the cup in front of all of the guests and then herself. She smiled as she took a sip of her tea.

"Yummy." The little girl giggled and sat her cup down before grabbing a cookie. Regina knew that she should have been scared but the little girl was just so cute and she had been gentle with her so far.

Alexandra reached over and Regina squeezed her eyes shut as the little girl patted her on the head. It wasn't as rough as it was with Neal but it wasn't as gentle as Emma's or Snow's touch. She felt a sudden ache in her chest when she thought of Emma. Emma probably was home by then and has found out that she was gone. She was probably worried sick about her but Regina pushed that thought aside because if Emma had cared she wouldn't have left her alone with that idiot Snow White. That's why she planned to go somewhere away from all of them.

She looked at the child before her that was playing quietly. Well, if she ever got out of there.

She took in her surroundings. The room was decorated a soft pink and yellow. There was a scene of the Disney version of Cinderella dancing with the Prince painted on one of the walls right near the little yellow toddler bed. Little cute stuffed animals were piled on top of a little pink armchair. A doll house made like a castle sat in the corner beside a toy chest. The room was adorable and fit the little princess well.

She could hear footsteps approaching and her ears perked up instantly. She turned towards the sound. She looked over just as Ashley Boyd or Cinderella appeared in the doorway of the room. She was dressed casually as usual in jeans and a boring plain tee. Regina could never really figure out how old the girl was. She was not quite as old as Snow. Maybe she was along with Ruby. But how old was Ruby? Curses made such things foggy.

Ashley smiled at the little girl and the little girl smiled back. The woman's eyes swept the room and the smile fell from her face when she saw the cat. She didn't look upset, she didn't look scared, she just looked plain concerned and curious.

"Alex," She began as she took a step into the room to get a better look at their house guest who was sporting a pink fluffy doll dress and bonnet. "Where did the kitty cat come from?" She asked gently. The little blonde child furrowed her brows and looked up at her mother. She shrugged and pointed to the door. "Outside?"

Alexandra shook her head. "Door."

Cinderella furrowed her brow in confusion and stared at her daughter. Her gaze then drifted towards the cat. She walked over to the table. The cat watched her very closely unsure of what was going to happen next. The woman lowered herself until she could get a good look at the cat. "Hello there." She said reaching a tentative hand out. Regina decided to throw her a bone so she leaned forward allowing the woman to stroke her coat. "Where did you come from?"

 _Your daughter abducted me._ Regina thought with a hint of amusement. _But it's nice being pampered._

Cinderella continued to pet her. "I think this is the kitty cat that was on those signs, remember?" she looked at her daughter.

Alexandra nodded. "Yes mommy."

"Her family must be really missing her." Cinderella added.

 _I doubt it,_ Regina thought bitterly. _And I certainly do not miss them._

"I thought the sheriff was caring for her." Cinderella mumbled more to herself. "I wonder what happened."

 _Apparently they weren't worthy._

Cinderella began gently taking the clothes off of the cat and setting them down. Honestly Regina was used to being dressed up and it hardly fazed her anymore. Cinderella petted Regina's head then stood up. She smiled at her then at her daughter.

"Come on." Cinderella said offering the child her hand. "Let's get you ready for dinner. Daddy will be here soon."

Alexandra giggled at the mention of her father and slipped her hand into her mother's. She jumped down from the chair.

"And dinner for kitty?" Alexandra asked looking up at her mother. Cinderella smiled and patted her daughter on the head and rewarded her thoughtfulness with a smile.

"Yes. We will bring her a bowl of milk." She said. Her daughter nodded in approval. "We have to take good care of her for now."

 _Meh._ Regina thought. _I prefer cream but milk will do. Make sure its low-fat. I won't be a fluffball forever and who knows what all of these fatty foods I've been eating will do to my human figure._

She watched quietly as mother and daughter then exited the room hand in hand. She sighed. Those two blondes made her miss her favorite blonde. The big, adorable, lovable idiot with the goofy smile and the gentle green eyes. But no. She was mad at Emma. No matter how difficult the thought of her charm made it. No, Emma left. She did a bad thing.

Regina looked around the room. It was nice feeling wanted but it was time that she was on her way. She was delighted to find that the child's bedroom window was open. That was her way out. She shook out her coat and leapt down from the chair. She trotted across the green carpeted floor- that she assumed was supposed to be reminiscent of grass- to the window. She wiggled and positioned herself. She used her hind legs to launch herself to the white windowsill. She flew straight up and landed perfectly on the little white sill.

She shook out her coat and pranced across the surface to the crack in the window, she slid her head through before pulling her back half out as well. She inhaled the fresh air and had an overwhelming desire to run. She looked down to see how far her drop was and her eyes blew open. That was a pretty long drop. A two story one to be more specific. She could always go back the other way and try to escape through the doggy door. But that would risk Alexandra seeing her then she will never escape. Jumping was the only way.

She looked down and her attention zeroed in on the bushes below. If she could just aim for that then she will be okay. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. She wiggled her back legs and prepared to pounce. She held her breath and used her hind legs to catapult herself off of the window ledge. She soared through the crisp air for a moment, her fur flying through the wind. With a soft 'oof' she made contact with the bushes as they cushioned her fall.

She was slightly tangled within them but with some squirming, she eventually freed herself. Her head popped out first and then the rest of her. She leapt down and landed in the soft green grass. She looked back at the house then decided to be on her way.

She took a step but then she felt a weight on her head as if something landed on it.

Regina was confused until she heard the familiar singing of a bluebird. She shook her head and the bird flew off. It hovered above her and she looked at the little round flying creature. It sang a happy little tune then began flying away.

 _Oh no, you don't._

She leapt up to catch it but it flew higher. She huffed and glared at it. It let out a happy little tweet then flew across the yard. She watched it as it landed on the fence of the backyard. It looked at her as if to say that it was waiting. Regina shook her coat out and darted across the yard. The bird sang merrily and hopped off of the fence and began flying again. Regina squeezed through the gap in the fence and took off chasing the bird down the street.

 _Okay then. Let's play this game._

* * *

Emma was pretty sure that she had never been that worried or furious. For one she was mad with her mother for locking Regina up. It's seems like it's her goal in life to irritate the cat. Two, she was upset with Regina for leaving. Just because Snow White wrongfully accused her doesn't give her the right to abandon her family. By family, Emma meant Henry and well... herself. They were a family. Not only for Henry but for each other.

It wasn't lost on Emma how she felt about Regina. Regina is her best friend and she's positive that she is Regina's as well. They're close and so important to each other. The feelings they share runs deep and what Emma feels is intense. Cat or not. There is no way that Regina doesn't feel it. It sort of hurt her that Regina would run off like that.

That's why when she found Regina, they were going to have a nice little talk. It was time. Even though Regina couldn't speak back, she felt that she could still hear what Emma needed to say. She felt that if she was open, things wouldn't have gotten so intense. Maybe if Regina knew where she stood with Emma and she knew how much she meant to her she would think twice about putting her butt in danger. She needed to tell Regina how much she had worried her and why. Emma was ready for that shift in their friendship.

She needed Regina to know that she was important to her. She was ready to take that step.

If she ever found her.

Emma sighed as she continued down the street. She was thinking like Regina. She was going to start with basic places Regina would go. First her office and then her home. If she didn't find her there she would pay a shape shifting dragon sorceress a visit. It would make sense that she would go to her since Maleficent could communicate with her. Emma hated that she couldn't. She wanted to give it a try. She knew that she had the ability in her. Her mother was Snow White. The one with the gift for speaking to animals. In fact all Disney Princess had that skill Emma had learned from watching the films growing up. Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella-sort of, and the list goes on. Emma. Well, Princess Emma should have the gift. Maybe being able to communicate with Regina could help.

Besides she didn't want Regina running off to that Dragon Lady ever. She could get whatever she needed from Emma. She didn't need _her_.

She rolled her eyes at the idea of having to speak to her mother about it. She was still mad at her but she would swallow her pride for Regina. Only for her.

A buzzing in her pocket pulled her out of her musings. It took her a moment to realize that it was her phone vibrating in her pocket. She fished it out and noticed that she didn't recognize the number. With a heavy sigh Emma answered regardless since being the sheriff, using the excuse 'my cat is missing' doesn't exactly fly when there's another emergency to be dealt with.

"Hello?" She muttered as she looked around the street for any sign of the cat.

"Hi." A very familiar voice said through the line. "Hey Sheriff. It's me Ashley."

Emma chuckled. Cinderella. She hadn't spoken to her since the curse broke. It was nice to hear from her but she wished it was a better time. "Hey, Ashley. How are you?"

Ashley chuckled. "Great. Fantastic."

"That's good to hear." Emma said slightly distracted. "How is the little one?"

"Oh, Alexandra is doing great." She said happily. "She's growing up so fast. You know, when I look at her, I can't believe that she was supposed to be a little older than you."

Emma laughed awkwardly. "Yeah well..."

Ashley chuckled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot."

"No it's okay." Emma sighed. She's heard it before though. Their parents had planned for them to be playmates. The curse happened and well... It sucked but at the same time, if the curse didn't happen she wouldn't have Regina. Something tells her that she would rather have Regina.

"Well, I won't keep you. I'm sure you have sheriff or savior things to do." Ashley said politely. "Just... there is a black cat here. She looks a lot like the cat from the flyers. I don't know how she escaped from you but I have her."

Emma let out an instant sigh of relief. Oh the knots in her stomach loosened and she had to stop for a moment. "Thank you. She escaped earlier and I've been looking for her." She closed her eyes and thanked whoever made this happen. She needed to see Regina right away. "I'll be there soon."

"Okay. Just know she's okay and she's the perfect little princess." Ashley said. Emma could hear the concern in her voice. Ashley was a very caring person and very kind. Regina was in very good hands. She could relax knowing that. "We'll be here. I'll text you our address."

Emma nodded to herself and disconnected the call. She was so relieved that Regina was okay and that she was found by someone like Ashley. In a moment she received a new message. She opened it to find a text from Ashley containing her address. Emma looked up at the street sign. She was on Huckleberry Way. Ashley was located on Palace Avenue. The neighborhood where most of the princesses had ended up after the curse broke. She wondered how Regina had ended up all of the way over there.

It wasn't a far trip for a human but she could only imagine what it was like for Regina. She needed to see her and make sure she was okay. Anything could have happened. She couldn't wait to get her back into her care. She set off into a jog for Ashley's place. She chuckled to herself when she thought of Ashley referring to Regina as a 'perfect little princess'. Oh she couldn't wait to tease Regina about that one.

* * *

Regina strolled down the streets of Storybrooke. It was a lovely day and she was enjoying herself but it was getting late. She was not far from her destination. Just a few blocks. She stopped to smell the flowers along her trip down the sidewalk. She could feel her anger at the Charming family subsiding a bit. Well, she was still angry at Snow. That seemed to be the theme in their relationship. Snow upsetting her, her being oblivious to it and Regina marinating in her rage. It was the cycle of their relationship. She should be used to it by now. Who didn't deserve that were Emma and Henry. They didn't deserve to have her run off.

She imagined Emma worrying about her. Running around town searching for her. Her eyes wide and her panic face set in. Regina hated being the one that put it there. She looked back the way she came. It would be a long journey home but it would be worth it to see Emma's beautiful face again.

She stopped walking and sat down on the side walk. She had reached Main Street and it would be a nice little walk back but she was ready. She felt a light weight on her head and she knew it was her little bird friend that had stayed with her since they met in the yard. She wondered for a moment if the bird was sent by Snow White. Those were her favorite types of birds and the bird had been an extraordinary companion during their time together. She wouldn't be surprised if Snow sent her to keep an eye on her.

The made her wonder. Maybe Snow did care. Sure she didn't know that the cat was Regina but she still cared about the cat. That was something. She was still furious at her though. She probably just sent the bird to make sure that she was alive so she wouldn't have to feel guilty.

She still missed Emma something fierce and she just wanted to climb into bed with her and snuggle against her chest and listen to her heart beat. She wanted to be alone with her without interruptions. That was the only time she felt completely safe. She knew that Emma would protect her. She always has.

It was settled. She was going home to Emma and their son.

She turned and started to head back the way she came but she heard something that made her ears perk up. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned back around. She listened again and there it was.

A meow.

It was small and high pitched and must have belonged to a kitten. Regina's curiosity was piqued. She turned towards the sound. Her feline hearing traced the sound to an alleyway. It was slightly dark but lit by the setting sun nonetheless. She couldn't leave an innocent little kitten alone in an alley. Though she was a cat herself she had to at least try to help. She inched closer to the alley and she heard the bird that was still nestled on her head squawking, clearly trying to get her to go home. She shook head almost making the bird fall off. The bird let out an indignant tweet but fell silent. Regina nodded to herself and took a few more steps towards the alley. She peeked around the corner. The smell struck her and her heightened senses immediately. She gagged at the odor of garbage from the large green dumpsters. Her eyes were burning and she didn't understand how humans could tolerate certain smells but she wished that she had her human senses at that moment.

She squinted and scanned the area with her glowing eyes and that's when she saw it. Another pair of glowing green eyes peeking at her from underneath a dumpster. She instantly cooed in her mind at the little eyes that were probably attached to a tiny cat.

 _Hey there, little one_. She thought as she tiptoed into the alley. It felt like the smell was pushing her back but she couldn't leave that kitten behind. She stepped further inside, inching closer to the dumpster. She could smell the little one then. He didn't smell dirty at all and he looked healthy. She ducked her head to peek under the dumpster. The kitten inched towards her and poked his little head out.

Oh that face. Those big green eyes and that pink nose. His ears were much too large for his body and he had the friendliest little face. She admired his orange coat and its tiny stripes. He was too cute for words. She leaned down and he leaned up, wiggling his little nose as he sniffed her. He came too close and bopped her nose with his. The kitten leaned back in surprise and Regina was highly amused by his shyness. She always secretly thought that baby animals were cute. She couldn't show or admit that because she had a reputation to uphold as the evil queen but right now it didn't matter. The little orange tabby with the green eyes was stealing her breath away.

He meowed and stepped from under the dumpsters. Her rubbed his furry cheek on hers and Regina instantly fell in love. He rubbed his head under her chin and began purring happily.

 _Oh my._ She thought. _You are too precious for words, my dear._

The kitten began purring louder and snuggling closer to her. The bird chirped in surprise. _My thoughts exactly._ She needed to get back to her family but this little one was alone. Maybe she could bring him home with her. But did she want to share Emma with him?

 _No_.

But he was all alone and she couldn't abandon him. He wouldn't survive out there. She barely has. That's it. He's coming with her.

 _Let's see. How do I get him to follow me?_ She thought.

A low growl broke through her musings. She looked down. The kitten was looking up at her with big scared eyes. It definitely wasn't him. She didn't know whether to run or what. Before she got to think too much on it, she saw a figure emerge from behind the dumpster. It was a white medium sized scruffy dog. He had a red bandanna tied around his neck and there was a gray spot on his back. His eyes zoomed in on Regina's designer collar and he crouched down low, baring his fangs. The kitten scrambled and ran behind her.

 _Little coward._ She mentally scoffed.

She backed up and that's when a brown bulldog joined the white dog followed by a Chihuahua. There was also a large brown dog with a pointy snout that looked more like a show dog than a street dog. They were all growling and looked ready to maul her. Regina continued to back up. She was vastly outnumbered and her back up was a three week old kitten and a bird. She was dead.

Her heart was hammering in her chest harder than it was with Pongo. She frantically looked for a route of escape as the dogs inched closer. She couldn't run because as they were closing in they were blocking her only exit. She bristled and took a step back. Her tail was standing straight up and so was the fur on her back. Her ears were slicked back and her lip curled revealing her sharp fangs. The dogs of course were bigger in size and numbers so they were not threatened by this tiny cat dressed in a fancy collar. She was no match for them.

 _Go away, I'm warning you_. She thought as she growled. That just seemed to anger them.

The dogs inched closer and she could feel them closing in. She could smell their foul stench. Dogs never smelled nice to her but as a cat it was even worse. She could feel their growls within her body. So many sharp teeth. She was shaking. She backed up in an attempt to protect the little one. They backed into a wall and there was nowhere else to go.

 _This is it. Goodbye Henry. Goodbye Emma._

The lead dog with the bandanna lunged at her and opened his mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut bracing to be torn to shreds. The door flinging open caused him to stop and scramble backwards. Regina's eyes shot open at the sound of the big metal door. She looked over to see the dogs scrambling backwards, whimpering. Regina stared with confusion at their change in demeanor. They were just about to maul her and now they were cowering?

"What the hell?" Regina heard a familiar voice say. She sighed in relief. She never thought she would be happy to see her. The young woman peeked around the door and a huge smile spread across her face when she saw the cats and the bird. "Hello. Are these big dumb doggies scaring you?"

Regina relaxed and straightened her back. _Oh Ruby, I never thought I would be so glad to see you._

The girl's eyes sparkled as she looked the black cat over. "Wait right here." She said holding up a finger. She bent down, picking up something and stepped out, letting the door slam. The dogs jumped and scrambled to get out of her way. She carried two large garbage bags like they were nothing over to the dumpsters and tossed them in. The dogs were cowering in a corner. Regina assumed it was a werewolf thing. In all honestly the young woman was setting her senses on edge as well but she knew that Ruby would never harm her.

She's the biggest sweetest puppy around besides Emma.

Ruby rubbed her hands together. The dogs were shaking. Ruby gave them a look then walked back over to Regina. She squatted down and stared into the scared cat's eyes.

"Don't be scared. Come here let me take care of you and your friends." She said gently. She reached down and gently scooped Regina up with so much love and affection and tucked her under her arm. The bird flew onto her shoulder. She then picked up the kitten. She held him in her palm. She stood with the cats and headed for the door. She shifted them so that she could turn the knob.

She pulled the door open and started to step inside. She then turned to the dogs that were still shaking in fear in the corner. She growled low at them and one whimpered. "Get out of here!" She screamed at that them. One yelped and they all began tripping over themselves as they tried to get out of the alley. "And don't ever come back." She called after them. She watched as they all ran out onto the street. She nodded in satisfaction.

She stepped inside then and let the door close. Judging by the nice smell of food they were obviously in Granny's diner. This was a part she hadn't seen before. They were standing in a dimly lit hallway. She assumed it was the back where Granny did her work. Ruby carried the cats to a room. She pushed the already cracked door open and Regina observed the room. She assumed that it must have been the office. Ruby walked them over and sat the cats down on the desk while the bird took its place on the windowsill. Regina found it to be interesting that the window was wide open but the bird didn't leave. Either she was afraid that the dogs were still out there or Regina was right about it being one of Snow's friends. She didn't mind though because she had grown fond of her.

She looked over at the kitten and noticed that he seemed to like Ruby because he ran over to her. Regina took that opportunity to shake her coat out.

"Sorry about them. Dodger's crew is... meh." The werewolf said with a grin as she lifted up the little orange ball of fur and held him close to her chest. "All of us aren't like that." she bopped him on his nose with her finger. He seemed very amused by that because he placed his paws on her hand, trying to get her to do it again.

 _Oh so you admit to being a dog?_ Regina teased in her mind.

"Actually I do, Regina." Ruby replied with a smirk. Regina froze and her eyes widened.

 _What?_ She asked with a tilt of her head.

Ruby shook her head as she plopped down in the desk chair gracelessly. The kitten was all over her then, rubbing his cheek on her chin. "I mean your eyes were a dead giveaway but what other cats smell like apples? Also each person or should I say creature, has a specific scent. You have a very distinguishable scent. It's like all sexy and enticing." She explained. Regina mentally raised a brow at the 'sexy' comment. Ruby waved it off. "Anyway, the cat smells like you. Also your voice. Do you know that your thoughts sound like... well... you?"

The cat just stared. _What? How? Ruby!_

Ruby chuckled. "Sorry. I'm a werewolf." She shrugged. "I can hear all animals." She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder towards the bird. "Your friend over here is a fretting mess."

Regina sighed. Of course. _Just don't say anything to anyone._

Ruby shrugged. "Sure. Your secret is safe with me." She said simply. That was understandable. Ruby had no reason to tell besides she has proven to be trustworthy. "What happened though?" she asked curiously.

 _Emma happened._

Ruby snorted. "Say no more." The kitten continued to rub his face on Ruby's and Ruby stroked his back. "But, how long does it last?"

Regina rolled her eyes. _It's hard to say. Weeks, months. Whenever it wears off._

Ruby nodded. "That's rough. You'd find being an animal is freeing. I only truly feel like myself when I'm one with my wolf."

Regina tilted her head again. That was true. She has felt completely free. No worrying about what she was going to wear or her make up. Never having to be concerned about how she was sitting or whether she was using proper grammar. She nodded. _Yes. It is nice except when Snow gets a hold of me._

Ruby snorted. "No. Oh my god. Well that explains this." She reached out and touched the collar. "She can be a bit..." She sighed. "She doesn't know that you're the cat?" she asked curiously.

Regina shook her head. _No Emma told them she found me. I'm staying with them until it wears off._

Ruby nodded in understanding. "Where is our sexy sheriff anyway?"

 _Our?_ Regina asked. She couldn't help the jealousy she felt. She didn't like anyone else calling Emma _sexy._

Ruby snorted and laughed. "Relax. She's all yours. I have my eye set on someone else anyway."

 _All mine?_

Ruby giggled and shook her head. "Wow. Even as a cat... Wow. Here I was thinking your animal would open your eyes. Becoming one with your beast is supposed to bring clarity. I guess not."

 _Open my eyes to what!_ Regina asked. She felt like Ruby knew a secret about her that she didn't and she didn't like it.

Ruby shrugged. "To the fact that you love Emma." she said simply.

Regina's mouth fell open and Ruby giggled again.

 _No._ Was all Regina said.

Ruby shook her head with a grin. "Yes. And she loves you."

She grabbed the kitten and placed him on the desk. He instantly pranced over to Regina and snuggled up against her. She didn't notice though because she was still staring at Ruby in shock. Her mouth still hanging open. Ruby leaned forward and reached a hand out. She used her finger to close Regina's mouth.

Ruby clapped her hands together and stood up abruptly. "I'll get you guys some cream." She announced.

Regina said nothing and Ruby laughed as she headed for the door. Regina didn't even notice. Her head was spinning. Did she...? She shook her head. _No._

Ruby poked her head back into the room and grinned, "You and Emma totally love each other." She singsonged and slipped out of the room with a giggle. Regina gasped and her eyes widened as she stared at the closed door.

 _No._ Was all Regina could think.

She heard the bird tweet. Regina shot a glare at it.

 _Shut up. No I don't._

She didn't love Emma. Emma was her friend. That was all. Besides if she did, friends love each other. Ruby is not as wise as she thinks she is. Regina huffed and turned away from the door and pouted. Just because she felt a powerful connection to Emma that did not mean that she wanted to kiss her and live happily ever after with her.

Or did she?

 _No!_

* * *

 _ **Lol! Gina had a play date with Alexandra and found a kitten. I would say she had an eventful day.**_

 **Thanks for reading. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hi. This story finally reached over 500 follows. That's cool. Honestly just for that alone I owe you guys more updates! Thanks for following, faving, reviewing and reading. :) this story is a fun one for me to write and I'm glad that you guys are still enjoying it.**

 **Here's the chapter. Sorry for mistakes (I don't have a beta and I'm doing my best on my own). I own nothing. Enjoy.**

Chapter 11

"Hi Emma!" Emma felt a small body collide with her and small arms wrap around her legs. Emma chuckled at the little girl that was hugging her legs.

"Hey Alexandra." She greeted. The little girl pulled back and looked up at her with a big smile.

As soon as the door opened the small child flew out and before either Ashley or Emma could react, the little girl was on Emma. Emma didn't particularly mind the little hugs though. She thought Alex was so adorable. She often saw her skipping down the street with her mother, her hair in little blonde pigtails and wearing an adorable tutu and little sneakers. Emma often wondered what it would be like to have a daughter. She thought she would be a pretty good mother to a little girl. She wouldn't mind having another miniature version of herself.

But for some reason whenever she thought about having another kid, Regina was always involved in helping her raise them. Maybe it was because they were both already raising a child so, it would only be natural for them to raise any other child that came into their lives together as one parental unit. It could have also meant that she thought Regina was an incredible mom because she did. But there was also the possibility that Emma just wanted... no. She shook that thought off. No. She just wanted Regina to be a part of her family. Whatever that meant.

When the little girl freed her, Emma leaned down and put her hands under the child's arms and lifted her up. Emma sat her on her hip. They shared a smile before Emma finally addressed the little girl's mother standing in the doorway of the house.

"Afternoon Ashley."

"Hey Emma." The woman said happily. She stepped aside to let Emma in. Emma thanked her and stepped into the modest house. "Can I get you anything?"

Emma shook her head. "No thank you."

She felt Alexandra's little hands playing with her hair. She looked over at the little girl. She was twirling some of Emma's hair around her finger. Emma chuckled at that. "You like my hair?" She asked.

She received a nod in response. "It's yellow."

"It's blonde like yours." Emma explained. "And your mom's."

Alexandra wrinkled her nose. "It's different."

Emma raised her brows. "Is it?"

"We have a little future hairdresser on our hands. She loves to touch everyone's hair and play with it." Ashley said with a chuckle. "She went up to that Dragon witch in Granny's and asked about her hair the other day. Aurora almost died." She giggled at the end.

Emma smirked and looked over at Alexandra. "That must have been something. What did Maleficent say?"

Ashley shrugged. "She smiled at her, surprisingly enough. Then Alex began asking the woman about her eyes. I mean, have you seen them? They're stunning yet terrifying."

Emma chuckled. "Everything about that woman screams evil." She muttered. "Good to see her integrating well into society."

"She's not so bad."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah soon she might be offering rides on her back for the kiddies." She hoped that didn't come out as bitter as she felt it did.

"Perhaps." Ashley said crossing her arms over her chest. "I mean, if Regina could be redeemed... after that whole dark curse mess..."

"Well, yeah but still. Regina has been good."

Ashley shrugged. "Maybe some of her goodness is rubbing off on the Dragon lady. I saw them together a few times and they looked real close." She gasped. "Regina is gay, right?"

Emma shrugged. She had no idea why she felt so much animosity towards Maleficent. She didn't do anything to her directly. She just didn't get why Regina liked her so much. "I think she's straight... She was with that thieving bozo."

"Robin Hood." Ashley corrected. "But she and Maleficent share so much chemistry. Maleficent looks at her the way I look at raspberry ice cream. That's passion."

"Uh..."

"Then again, everything with a pulse is attracted to Regina. Honestly I questioned my sexuality a few times when I saw her in certain outfits."

"Uh..."

"And she smells really good."

"Uh..."

"You know you two would make a nice couple. She compliments you well and you compliment her." Ashley rambled. "You're gay, right?"

"Ummm..."

"Was I assuming? I was going by the short nails, skinny jeans, the beanies and the leather. Not to mention you're a cop and kinda a knight." Ashley babbled. "Plus the way you walk and the foot wear. Oh and Ruby said that she caught you staring at her..." She leaned over and covered Alexandra's ears making the little girl laugh. "Chest."

"That's because her tits were always on display." Emma whispered back. "How can I not?"

Ashley shrugged. "Fair enough. But are you attracted to Ruby?"

"No." Emma gasped. Was she? Ruby is beautiful but was Emma attracted to her? Probably not. "Nope."

"Regina?"

Emma shrugged. "She's beautiful, smart, a good mother to our kid, funny and she can cook. I could see myse- nope."

Ashley giggled as she removed her hands from her daughter's ears. "Careful Emma, your crush is showing."

Emma scowled at the other blonde. "The cat." She grumbled.

Ashley chuckled. "Fine." She threw her hands up in surrender and began leading Emma down the hallway. "I just want to see you happy. You gave us a happy ending. You deserve one too."

Emma smiled a little at Ashley. She's right. Everyone deserves a happy ending. Including herself. She wasn't sure if Regina was a part of her happy ending but she knew that their little family with Henry was. She had no idea what the future held for her or what fate had planned but she did know that she needed Regina in her life. She didn't know what that meant for her relationship with Regina or how their friendship would change.

Emma was slowly understanding why she always thought about Regina and very little else. Why she felt an overwhelming need to keep her safe and close. She was starting to understand why she needed her friendship so badly. She needs Regina. She has feelings for her. What those feelings were... well...

She'll sort that out once she had her best friend safe and sound in her arms.

"Thanks Ashley. I'll keep that in mind."

Ashley gave her a kind smile and began leading her upstairs. Alexandra really liked being carried and Emma didn't particularly mind. Ashley brought her up to the second floor and led her to a bedroom. She opened the door and waved them inside. Emma could see right off the bat that the room belonged to the toddler in her arms. From the Cinderella artwork on her walls to her brightly coloured princess bed.

"Here kitty." Ashley called softly as she entered the room. "Here, pretty girl."

She walked around the room as Emma scanned the area.

"Kitty tea party with me." Alexandra said. She pointed to a little table with a cute tea set on it. There were stuffed animals seated around it in the little chairs.

Emma thought that was so cute and she knew that if Regina was a participant of the tea party she would have been so amused and she would have thought Alexandra was so adorable.

"That's strange." Ashley said as she peeked under the bed. "She was just here a minute ago and the door was closed. She couldn't have gotten far."

Emma swept the room with her eyes again then she groaned when her gaze landed on the window. It was cracked. Not again. Seriously doesn't anyone know how to close a window around here?

Emma sighed. "Hey Ash."

Ashley looked up from where she was searching under the tea table. "What's up?"

Emma nodded towards the open window. "She got out again."

Ashley looked towards the window. "Oh no."

"Yeah. We need to check your yard..."

"Of course." Ashley said standing. She began heading her way. "Right this way."

Emma sighed. She was never letting Regina out of her sight again.

* * *

Regina felt that she was getting pretty good at this cat thing and she was actually getting used to it. She still disliked the heightened senses and her size but aside from that she could learn to live with it for a while longer. She had Emma Swan waiting on her hand and foot, cuddling her and letting her snuggle or knead her whenever she pleased. The cat in her appreciated it. She wasn't too sure about the human.

Emma Swan made it all slightly bearable. She would never tell her that though.

Regina sniffed the air. That was exactly why she hated her heightened senses. Ruby's dog-like smell was killing her nose and her eyes were just about burning.

"Okay Regina." Ruby muttered as she walked around the desk. She plopped down into the office chair. "I get it. I smell." She rolled her eyes and put her feet up on the desk. Regina glared at the woman's shoes for a moment and when they didn't disappear, she raised her paw and began hitting them.

Um how rude? You aren't supposed to put your foot up on furniture. She's pretty sure that Granny taught her better than that. The woman was a real hard ass. She may even rival Regina when it comes to being strict.

Ruby giggled. "What are you doing?"

She reached over and before Regina could move, she grabbed her sides and lifted the cat. She pulled her close and pressed her to her chest. Regina tried to resist and began pushing Ruby away with her front paws

The smell!

"Shhh..." Ruby replied and began stroking her coat from head to tail. She would stop and scratch at the spot right before her tail started.

 _Oh..._ Regina thought in a moan. She began purring.

Ruby hummed. "See, we know how to take of each other."

Before Regina could stop herself her eyes slipped closed and she rubbed her cheek against Ruby's in a way that she only does with Emma. She felt nails run through her coat and she just rubbed her face down Ruby's cheek and her head rubbed under her chin before coming up on the other side.

"Does that feel good?"

 _Oh yes_.

Ruby's hand came around and began scratching her chest where the fur came to a point. _Oh._

Ruby grinned at the cat that was deemed defenseless against this new sensation.

"Good... I have to tell Emma that you like this."

Regina's eyes sprung open then. She looked up at Ruby and the werewolf was just grinning down at her the way that she does. Regina titled her head in confusion. _Excuse you_?

"Well she should know where your spot is." Ruby said followed by a suggestive wink. Regina narrowed her eyes at her and raised her paw. She popped Ruby's hand a few times causing the woman to laugh. "I'm sorry."

Regina stood up and turned her nose up. She then turned around, showing Ruby her tail and walked down the wolf's body. She doesn't have to take this.

"You know where I'm from and during a certain time... that's an invitation."

Regina looked back at Ruby like she had lost her mind. The werewolf wagged her brows. _That's disgusting._

Ruby tilted her head. "How so?"

 _You're a human_.

Ruby shrugged. "Not fully. I'm more werewolf."

Regina shook her head. _Still..._

"Regina, you're human."

 _Sure... but..._

"Emma's a human..."

 _That's different._

Ruby chuckled. "How so?"

 _It just is..._

"I always thought Emma would be a bad ass werewolf though..." Ruby said thoughtfully. "All of those muscles and stamina. She's super strong. Her wolf would be white or like a golden color. Bad ass for sure."

Regina had to agree. _True._

"Emma's pretty hot though. All that blonde hair, those biceps..." She watched Regina closely for a reaction. "I bet she has a sick six pack. Washboard."

 _She's does._

Ruby froze and her brows rose. "How do you know that?"

 _She changes in front of me sometimes._

Ruby snorted. "She's so into you."

 _What?_

Ruby shook her head. She wouldn't tell her that many animals present their assets to their potential mates. "Nothing. When are you going to tell her how you feel?"

 _What?_

"You love her." Ruby said simply. She loved the way the cat's eyes almost bugged out of her head again like when she said that earlier. She really thought Ruby was going to let that conversation slide but she was so wrong. "And she loves you."

Regina's ears laid back and her tail fluffed out. How dare she even imply such a thing. _Ruby..._

"Fine." Ruby raised a hand. "Okay just do one thing. Tell me you don't feel something for her."

 _She's my best friend... and Henry's mother. How could I not?_

Ruby shook her head. "Aside from that. Tell me you don't love those big green eyes and those dimples. Tell me you don't want to run your fingers through that soft blonde hair."

Regina honestly couldn't. That would have been a lie because all that Ruby said was true. Regina loved Emma's eyes, her dimples, that smile and even that little cleft in her chin. Emma was the most precious thing she had ever encountered other than her son. She knew now and she was beginning to understand her feelings for Emma and she felt that she was going to suddenly panic.

"Don't be scared." Ruby said. "Emma feels the same. You should hear the way she speaks about you. It's so cute. She just wants to love you but she thinks you won't let her."

It was Regina's turn to tilt her head. _Yeah?_

Ruby giggled then leaned forward. "Yes." She whispered.

Regina's little feline heart fluttered. Could that be true? Of course not. Emma was just her friend and she only saw her as a friend and nothing more. She wouldn't even humiliate herself by... by what? It's not like she wanted to... She huffed in frustration. She had no idea what she wanted. Her feelings for Emma were so damn complicated and she had never been so confused. She didn't know what she wanted. She couldn't understand how she felt or why. What baffled her the most was why did she always feel like her breath was stolen whenever she thought of the possibility of loving Emma Swan?

"Because Emma Swan can steal your breath away with a long look in your eyes or a simple smirk with those delicious pink lips." Ruby pointed out simply. "I know. She's done it for me quite a few times." She muttered. She leaned over and opened a drawer. Regina's mouth fell open and she stared wide eyed as Ruby plucked something from the drawer before shutting it.

All of those things were true. There had been times when Regina's brain stalled when Emma touched her or gave her a smile. Even the sound of Emma's voice could give her butterflies. She didn't know what it was. She figured it was annoyance or indigestion. She never figured that it could be something...

Well... not bad.

"Not bad at all." Ruby muttered as she began filing her nails. Regina tilted her head again. Her ears were pointed towards Ruby with her curiosity. Ruby happened to glance up and she froze in her movements. Her eyes grew two sizes and her cheeks blushed a soft pink. Regina flinched because she knew what was already coming. "You are so cute. Oh my goodness!"

 _Ruby, please!_

Ruby threw on an innocent expression. "What?"

 _Nothing._ Regina let out a long sigh. She couldn't allow herself to think about 'love' or whatever the hell Ruby was implying that she was feeling for Emma. The idea was outright preposterous.

"Is it really?"

 _Yes!_ Of course it was. Nothing could happen between her and Emma. Her story doesn't go like this and she's almost positive that neither does Emma's.

"How do you know?" Ruby stopped filing her nails for a moment. "How do you know that your stories aren't connected in more ways than they already are? How can you be so sure that the happy ending that you and Emma are trying to find for you doesn't lie within the savior herself?"

 _Because that seems ridiculous._

"More ridiculous than me being a werewolf or you being a witch...?" At the glare she received from Regina she quickly corrected herself, "I mean... sorceress."

 _Well..._

"I mean, don't most of these stories... well not ours... but the others teach that love... especially true love could be found in the least likely of places between the least likely of people?"

Ruby did indeed have a point but the thought of Emma loving her, sort of gave Regina anxiety. Not the bad kind but the heart racing, shy, awkward kind. Kind of like the rush you feel right before you get on a big rollercoaster or go down a water slide. It was exciting but also nerve racking and she didn't know what to expect or how to even feel for that matter.

 _I don't know..._ She shook her head.

"Then don't. You don't have to know anything. You don't even have to do anything. Stop thinking so much and let nature take it's course. We're all animals driven by instinct, right?"

 _I guess..._

Ruby snorted. "You guess..." She waved that off. "Just stop thinking and stop fighting it. Think that for once you are deserving of having the love of someone like Emma. Think that you deserve to raise Henry with her as a family where the two of you are bonded as well. I think it's high time you stop punishing yourself and cut yourself some slack."

Regina stared at Ruby for a long time. She was dumbfounded. She didn't even know that Ruby was that fond of her. She always thought that the wolf girl hated her.

"Why would you think that?" Ruby giggled. "I'm a dog... according to you... we like everyone."

Regina gave Ruby a long dirty look. _Yeah but Snow White..._

"Oh that?" Ruby blew out a raspberry. "I'm over it and Snow sure as hell is. Besides I always thought you were kinda hot."

 _Alright. That's enough, Miss Lucas._

Ruby snorted. "Fine!"

Regina rolled her eyes causing Ruby to laugh. "I have to admit that you are much too expressive to be an actual cat but the odd thing is that he doesn't even see the difference." She flicked a finger at the kitten and for the first time since the conversation had began, Regina remembered the little guy. She glanced over to find him greedily drinking cream from the bowl that was supposed to be hers. His was already empty. She rolled her eyes again.

 _Greedy little thing..._

Ruby chuckled. "He's probably hungry. Who knows how long he's been out there and it couldn't have been easy for him to find food..."

Regina nodded her head. _That is true._

Ruby smiled and turned to the window where the bird was perched on the sill. The street lights had come on and it was growing dark out. "It's getting late. Would you like me to call Em and tell her to come pick you up?"

Regina subconsciously began purring and her tail began swaying from side to side with just the mere mention of Emma. She couldn't help herself. It was Emma's smell, the way she felt, her warmth. She missed her. Ruby's eyebrows shot into her hairline and the corners of her mouth curled up into a lazy smirk.

"She's tail wagging good, huh?" She received nothing but another glare from the black ball of fur. She laughed and raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm gonna go call Emma. Don't kill me."

Regina nodded. _Fine._

Ruby stood and walked around the desk. She headed out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

Regina was left there to marinate in her strange thoughts. Thoughts that seemed alien to her. Could she possibly be worthy of a happy ending? A happy ending with Emma Swan?

That idea made her feel strange and light. Almost carefree but then it dawned on her. She was trapped in a cat's body and who knew when she would be human again, if ever. She just needed to...

She glanced over to see the kitten finally lifting his face from the bowl. He licked his lips and let out a yawn so big that he almost fell over. She fell in love with him a little bit more in that moment. He stretched his front legs then his back legs. He then looked over at her with droopy eyelids.

 _Are you tired, little one?_

He shook his little coat out and began heading her way. He brushed up against her coat with his then nuzzled her fur with his little pink snout. He looked up at her and meowed softly. For some reason she understood him. She nodded and he meowed again happily. She laid down on her side and the kitten didn't waste a moment lying down with her and snuggling up against her tummy. He rested his little cheek on her paw and began purring. She could see his little paws moving and his claws opening and closing as he was kneading the air. She just watched in awe of the adorableness of it.

His little eyes closed slowly and his breathing became softer but he continued purring. She admired his little ears and his little whiskers. He was too cute for words.

Yep. She was deeply in love with him.

And this was a huge problem.

* * *

Emma pushed aside some leaves on the bush and peered in. There was no sign of the cat there either. She, Ashley and Alexandra had been searching the backyard for the her lost friend. Emma sort of knew that Regina wouldn't stick around. She partially hoped that she would have made her way back to the loft but when she texted her mom she said that she hadn't seen her.

"Regina..." She whispered so that the other two wouldn't hear. "Are you out here?"

Of course there was no response but it was worth a shot. She sighed and straightened up. She looked across the yard at her companions. Ashley was... yep... She was speaking to a bird. A few years ago Emma would have thought she was nuts until she saw her mother do the same exact thing a few times.

After a while, the bird tweeted then flew up into the sky. Ashley turned and began heading towards Emma.

"What did it say?" Emma asked as the woman approached.

"The birdy didn't know." Alexandra answered for her mother. She raised her little palms upward and shrugged to emphasize this.

"It didn't know, huh?" Emma asked. Alexandra poked out her bottom lip and shook her head again. Her little blonde pigtails swinging back and forth. "That's too bad."

"Yes." Alexandra agreed.

That made Emma smile a bit despite the situation. She knows that she shouldn't be surprised that Cinderella's daughter could communicate with birds as well but she was more impressed than anything.

"They will keep an eye out." Ashley added. "There was also something about Snow White having some bluebirds out searching for a black cat as well."

Of course she would. Emma thought. "Great."

Ashley nodded. "Can you speak to them?"

Emma shook her head. "I never learned."

"Ah, you'll get the hang of it in no time."

Emma shrugged. Maybe, maybe not. She hoped she would. Simply because she missed speaking to Regina. She wondered if she could hear her voice in her head or if it was something different. She never bothered to ask but she was curious now and she figured that asking Ashley and Alexandra would be easier. They're the least annoying princesses she knows. Well, aside from the Arendelle girls. Elsa wasn't exactly a princess though. She was a queen. Perhaps that's why they got a long so well.

 _"Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd and I'm hungry like the wolf..."_

"What on earth is that?" Ashley asked as she began looking around the yard for the source of the random music. Emma furrowed her brow with a frown. It took her a moment to realize that it was her phone.

She chuckled awkwardly before picking it up. "Ruby, what's up?"

Ashley made an 'oh' face then tapped her temple as if saying, 'I get it'. Emma nodded with a smile.

"Hey Emma." Ruby sounded like her usually chipper self. "I have something for you."

Emma sighed. She really wasn't in the mood. She had a lot on her mind and she didn't really feel like playing games. "What is it?"

"It's small, black and fluffy. Oh and it has big brown eyes." She listed off. "And... it's grumpy. You have a kid with it and... I'm pretty sure you're in love with it."

"Huh?" Emma couldn't comprehend. She understood all of the words but she couldn't wrap her head around what Ruby was describing. It sounded like... but no.

Ruby sighed. "Regina is here, Emma. Well the furry version." At Emma's stunned silence the werewolf continued. "She told me everything. She was mad at Snow so she left. She ended up here where some dogs cornered her but I ran them off."

Emma let out a breath. She was relieved. "Oh thank god. Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's lounging about in the office."

Emma pressed her hand to her forehead. Oh. She feared that she would never find Regina. She was so scared that something would happen to her. "I'm coming now. You're at the diner, right?"

"Yep." Ruby replied.

"Great. See you soon."

"See ya."

Emma disconnected the call and looked up at Ashley. She found the other blondes watching her carefully as if waiting. She chuckled at that. "Ruby found the cat. She made her way to Main Street. She's okay."

"That's great news!" Ashley exclaimed. "You hear that, Alex? They found the kitty cat and she's okay!"

"Yay!" The little girl cheered throwing her little arms in the air. Emma smiled then. How cute.

Emma nodded. "Yeah well, thanks for everything. I'm gonna head down to pick her up."

"Of course." Ashley nodded. Emma gave her a smile then began making her way around to the front of the house. She could hear the other woman following her.

"See you around, Ashley." Emma said turning and giving her a wave. "And bye-bye, Alex!"

"Bye Bye Princess Emma." Alexandra said. She then covered her face and giggled. That of course made Emma smile.

"She's really cute."

"What do you say, Alex?" Ashley prompted.

"Thank you, Princess Emma." The child giggled again.

Emma shook her head with a small smile. "You're very welcome."

"You know, Emma..." Ashley began following Emma across the yard to the front gate. "It doesn't have to take your cat going missing for you to come by and say hi. I actually would like to hang out some time. You can come out with us. I know you think we're no fun and you'd much rather hang out with your beautiful queen but I can assure you that we are cool, too."

Emma's mouth fell open and she was slightly taken aback by that. "I didn't... Ashley, I don't think you're boring. Honestly, I was raised differently than you guys. I'm not a traditional princess and I don't think we have much in common."

"Hmm... let's think about that shall we..." Ashley looked at Alexandra then back at Emma. "I was an orphan. My mother died when I was young then my father died when I was a bit older. I was raised by my wicked stepmother who along with her daughters made me miserable. I was poor, hated my life until Rumplestiltskin murdered my fairy godmother and tricked me into making a deal with him. I went to a ball and met my Prince then because of that deal, I lost my Prince. The only reason I found him and I am a princess again is because of you."

Emma shifted on her feet awkwardly. She never thought of it that way. Cinderella certainly was not born a princess. She had a life that was somewhat like Emma's. No parents and a caregiver that was cruel to her. She didn't get bounced around but she certainly understood not having a traditional princes upbringing. "I never... I shouldn't have assumed."

"You're right." Ashley said with a smile. "I'm fun too. Maybe not as fun as Regina Mills or as charming as her but Aurora and I have fun. Sometimes Ruby comes out with us and your mom." Emma wrinkled her nose then Ashley giggled. "We won't invite her when you come out with us."

Emma smiled. "Okay."

"So what do you say?" Ashley pressed lightly. "Give us a try?"

"Uh..."

"Come on, Emma. Your queen is invited. I'm dying to see what the big deal is anyway."

Emma chuckled. Regina would get a kick out of that. She wouldn't want to go but Emma would talk her into it. It wouldn't be easy but they both need to socialize more. "Eh fine. But only if Alex comes to spend the day with me sometimes."

"Free babysitting?" Ashley asked only half joking. "Done."

Emma snorted. "It's getting late. I gotta go but you have my number. Call when you want to meet up."

"Okay." Ashley called after her as she slipped out of the gate. "I'm holding you to it."

"Good." Emma called back before waving and taking off jogging down the street.

* * *

As the bell chimed signalling Emma entering the diner, Ruby eagerly met her at the door. She had an anxious look on her face and she was basically bursting with excitement. Emma raised her brows in question at her friend.

"What's up?" Emma asked as she glanced around the diner. There weren't many people there. She missed the dinner rush thankfully.

"She's waiting in the back." Ruby replied. She grabbed Emma's hand and began dragging her through the diner. A few patrons greeted her along the way and she politely waved and smiled in greeting.

She was eager to see Regina. She just needed to lay her eyes on her to know that she was okay. Plus she missed her terribly. That she could admit.

Ruby led Emma to the counter where they slipped behind it. Emma could smell the food that was coming from the kitchen and it made her stomach growl.

Ruby pulled her in a different direction towards another door. They stepped through it and into a short hallway.

Emma looked around with interest. She had never been in this part of the diner. It was dimly lit and sort of eerie. It gave her the creeps. She was subconsciously waiting for a serial killer or a creepy clown to jump out on her. The quicker she got out of there the better.

"She's in here." Ruby announced as she took her to a shut wooden door.

"How is she?" Emma asked.

"As good as to be expected." Ruby answered. "She misses you though."

Emma looked surprised. Regina was missing her? Wow. "Yeah?"

Ruby grinned. "Yes." She replied then pushed the door open and stepped inside. Emma did not hesitate and eagerly followed behind her friend, dying to see her best friend alive and well.

Ruby shut the door behind her. Emma observed her surroundings. There wasn't much to what was obviously an office. There was a worn couch in the corner, a bookshelf, file cabinets... an old wooden desk that... Emma froze when her eyes landed on the desk and she spotted the little ball of black fur that was lying in the center of it. She breathed out a sigh of relief then.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Emma breathed out as she made her way to the desk. The cat looked over at her and blinked a few times. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was Emma. She gave the sheriff a small 'meow' in response and stood up. She stretched her front legs and then her back legs. "Get over here." Emma chuckled.

Regina shook her coat out and began prancing over to Emma. She was giddy. The time that they had been separated felt like days. She needed to curl up in Emma's arms and soon.

Ruby laughed. "She really missed you and apparently the two of you have a lot to discus."

Regina paused and stared at Ruby. She narrowed her eyes at her in warning. Ruby let out a grunt and pointed a finger at Regina.

"Don't you look at me like that, you little brat. You either tell her or I do."

The black cat's mouth fell open and her eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at Emma then back at Ruby. Emma was not quite sure what was happening but apparently the wolf and the cat had had a discussion before she arrived and she was slightly curious about what was said.

Regina visibly sighed then nodded. _Fine but Emma can't speak to animals so it'll have to be when I am myself again._

Ruby's brows shot straight up. "Emma can't speak to animals?" She smacked Emma's arm. "You can't speak to animals. You're Snow White's kid."

Emma shrugged. "I never learned. She didn't raise me, remember?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah but... you need to learn to speak to her. She has a lot to say."

Emma gave Regina a small smile. "Of course she does." She reached out and scratched under the cat's chin. Regina's eyes slipped closed and she sighed.

 _Oh Emma, how I've missed you and that touch of yours._

"I was so worried about you." Emma said softly. "I am so glad you're okay. I promise I will never leave you again."

Regina looked up into Emma's eyes and she saw the sincerity in them. She knew that Emma meant those words with all her heart. Her gentle eyes said it all. She nodded in agreement.

 _You better not. Now take me home._

"She's ready to go home now and have cuddle time." Ruby spoke for the cat.

Emma grinned. "Yeah?"

Regina rolled her eyes. _Ruby..._

Ruby simply gave Regina a wink. She shrugged. "You two should get out of here. It's getting late."

Emma nodded in agreement. All she wanted to do was to take Regina home where they would both be safe and sound. She reached down and scooped Regina up. She took the cat into her arms and hugged her gently. She put her nose to the top of the cat's head. "I missed you." She confessed. She didn't feel nervous about it and it felt so natural to say that to her best friend.

 _I missed you too, Emma._

"She missed you, too... which I mentioned earlier." Ruby added.

Emma smiled. "Good. Let's go home."

Regina simply snuggled closer to Emma's chest. She couldn't help herself and she wouldn't even try to stop it from happening. She didn't even want to fight it anymore and she felt content.

A little bluebird flew off from the windowsill and landed on Emma's shoulder. Emma looked over at the little creature. She knew exactly who this little animal was. She looked over at Ruby. "One of my mom's buddies."

Ruby chuckled. "I knew it. It took a liking to Gina."

Emma snorted. "Of course it did."

Regina glared up at Emma. Oh she wanted to pop her.

 _Keep it up, Swan. You're already on thin ice._

Emma turned to Ruby and began to open her mouth but a small meow stopped her. She looked down at Regina and just knew that it wasn't her. There was another one and that time she followed the sound to the desk where she found a small orange tabby staring up at her. Emma looked back to Regina.

"This yours?" She asked nodding towards the baby. "How long were you lost for?"

Regina gave her a look then rolled her eyes. _Idiot..._

"Regina saved his life. He loves her now and he's so attached to her. It's super adorable." Ruby explained.

Emma looked over at the little round puff of orange fur. His big green eyes were watching her curiously. She smiled. "Looks like Regina adopted another kid."

Ruby chuckled. "You two gonna raise him together?"

Emma and Regina both gave her a look. Ruby shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "The kid needs a family and you two have an awesome one. Henry would love him."

Emma watched the kitten for a moment. Her own green eyes stayed locked on his. He was really cute. His oversized eyes and his little pink nose. His short little tail and feet that were much too big for his body. He had a chubby tummy that she just wanted to squish. The little guy was too cute for words. She shifted Regina so that she could hold her with one arm and reached out a hand. The smaller cat leaned closer to her and sniffed her finger tips. He then purred softly and rubbed his head against Emma's fingers. Emma held in an 'aww' and it took everything in her to do so because her heart was squeezing so tightly.

"Regina found him?" Emma asked not taking her eyes off of their new son.

Ruby hummed the affirmative. "Yep."

Emma smiled at that. "Does she like him?"

"She loves him."

"Can she understand him?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep."

Emma's smile only grew. "That's adorable."

"Emma, I want to talk to you about you learning to communicate with Regina." Ruby said firmly. "I think you two need to talk."

Emma glanced up from the kitten to eye Ruby. "Will you teach me?"

"Well I can try but Regina gave me an idea when she said that Maleficent knows about her situation. My gift comes with me being a werewolf but Maleficent is a sorceress like you guys. She could teach you magically."

Regina's eyes widened. She wouldn't mind Mal's company. At least she didn't suggest Snow White but Emma Swan had quite the jealous streak when it came to Maleficent. She always thought Emma being jealous was adorable or attractive even. She can be quite possessive and Regina kind of liked it. This could be a good thing. Emma would learn to communicate with her and the little one but Regina would enjoy Emma's jealousy as well.

"Maleficent, huh?" Emma muttered thoughtfully. She was hesitating. Regina meowed softly and rubbed her head against Emma's chin. Emma froze then as if understanding her.

Regina meowed again. _Just agree idiot. I'm tired of playing charades with you when I want something._

Sure Emma was good at guessing because she knew her so well but Regina wanted to communicate with her.

Emma looked down at Regina then back up at Ruby. She nodded, clearly wanting to do what was best for her friend. "Yeah. Sure. We can do that."

"Great. I'll see if I can get in touch with the elusive Dragon." Ruby said.

 _Just summon her with a mirror_. Regina thought.

"It's that easy?" Ruby asked.

 _So easy a Charming can do it._

Ruby snorted. "Nice." She looked up at Emma then. "I can summon her."

"Cool." Emma nodded. She didn't know how she felt about Maleficent being around Regina again. Regina was hers and she didn't want to share her. Well, she wasn't really hers but...

"So when are you free?" Ruby asked, cutting into her thoughts.

Emma shrugged. "Well, I have a crazy work schedule... so, anytime after I get off." Ruby smirked at Emma's wording and it took Emma a moment to realize what she had said. She huffed and shot her friend a glare. "You know what I mean..." She looked down to see the cat eyeing her. "Not you too."

Regina simply grunted and rubbed her cheek on Emma's face. _Oh Emma..._

Ruby laughed. "Anyway... so I'll talk to her and we'll see when's a good time for all of us."

Emma nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Regina yawned and cuddled Emma some more. Emma began stroking her back gently.

They both just wanted to get home. Emma wanted to snuggle up with Regina in bed and Regina had a similar notion. It had been a long, scary day. Tired wasn't even the word for what they both felt.

"We're going to head out." Emma muttered. "By the way, we call her Bella."

Ruby nodded. "Since they don't know it's Gina. Which is off because those big brown eyes are a dead giveaway."

"Well if you aren't looking..." Emma pointed out.

 _Or you're a Charming..._ Regina added.

"Right..." The werewolf chuckled.

The kitten had wandered off and Emma returned to petting Regina. She watched the little guy with a furrowed brow then looked down at her cat. "Do you want to take him?"

Regina thought this over. She could. She knew that he needed her. Plus he was cute as a button and cuddly. She was fond of him and everyone would love him... a little too much. Like Snow White or Prince Neal. Also there's Charming who doesn't watch where he's stepping or sitting. That apartment is no place for a young kitten. Maybe when she was human again she and Emma... well, she could raise him.

She shook her head.

"No?" Emma asked in surprise. "I thought he was our new son?"

Regina's eyes widened in surprise and Emma simply smirked.

 _Emma..._

Ruby laughed and Regina shot her a glare. "Sorry." She cleared her throat. "She feels like the apartment isn't safe for him right now."

Emma fell silent. Well, that is true. Her family was kind of a nightmare. She looked up at Ruby. She trusted her and she knew that Regina did too. Maybe she could give him a good temporary home. "Will you keep him until Regina is human again and she can take him to her place?"

Ruby shrugged without hesitation. "I don't see why not. He's the sweetest little thing. I'll take good care of him."

Emma nodded with a smile at her friend. "Thanks."

"No problem." Ruby looked at Regina. "I know you're eager to be human again because you miss your life but for the time being, enjoy the freedom of your cat. Be it, embody it. There is no peace like embracing the soul of an animal."

Regina tilted her head as she took in Ruby's words. That wasn't the first time she's heard that from a shapeshifter. They did have a point though. She felt so different and for the better. She could do what she wanted. Her impulses drove her to interact with Emma in ways she wouldn't dare as a human. Emma also never judges or looks at her funny. She could cuddle her and show her affection without question. Emma seemed to like it anyway but Regina felt like it's nice not having to think things through and not having to hesitate. She liked being with Emma this way. She also enjoyed her other cat-like attributes. Maybe it wasn't completely unbearable after all.

 _I will try, Ruby._

Ruby smiled. "That's all I ask." She stroked Regina's head gently. "I'll see you guys soon, yeah? I promise to take care of your little fluff ball."

Regina nodded and so did Emma. They both looked at the little one who was playing with a rubber band at the opposite end of the table. Emma figured it was a good time to take Regina away while he was distracted.

"Go, he'll be fine." Ruby said with a smile. "We'll have fun."

 _Don't eat him._ Regina thought only half joking.

Emma gave her friend a smile. "Thanks again, Ruby."

"No problem." Ruby said shooting Regina a look for her comment.

Emma dipped her head in acknowledgement then focused on her magic. She didn't have the energy to walk home. She was tired and Regina had taught her teleportation or had begun to so, she was going to try and use it. This was as good a time as any.

Regina looked up into Emma's face and saw the serious expression. She knew that she was going to try to poof. She just hoped they didn't end up in another realm.

 _Just focus on home. Think of Henry._ She encouraged. _You got this, Swan._

"She says think of Henry." Ruby translated.

Emma nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. Ruby and Regina shared a look. "Good luck." Ruby mouthed to the cat and Regina rolled her eyes with a shake of her head.

 _I'll definitely need it._

Emma thought of Henry. His smile, his dark hair and his wise hazel eyes. His laugh. The way she felt whenever he hugged her. The way that he was sharp and sassy like Regina. They had done an amazing job with him. They were raising an incredible young man and she never thought she would have that. A family.

She exhaled a soft breath. Regina could see the light silver cloud of smoke surrounding them and she knew what was happening. She tensed and squeezed her eyes shut.

They were swept away in a cloud of Emma's gentle magic that smelled surprisingly floral and light. It actually fit Emma in a way. It was only a moment before they landed and the cloud began to fade.

Regina peeked one eye open as she felt the magic dissipate. She let out a soft sigh and relaxed against Emma's chest. They were standing in the hideously lit hallway right outside of the apartment. Emma had managed to successfully poof them home without incident. Regina looked up into Emma's face and found her staring down at her.

 _Good job, Emma._ She thought.

"I did it. Thanks to you." Emma whispered.

Regina purred in response. _You're a much better sorceress than you give yourself credit for and I wish that I could tell you how proud I am of you._

She was proud of Emma for many different things. She was so proud of the person she's become and the mother. Most importantly she was proud to call her her friend.

"Let's go." Emma muttered with a small smile. "You sound like a tiny chainsaw." She said with a chuckle. Regina shook her head and snuggled closer to Emma's chest.

Emma gave Regina a small squeeze before reaching out and opening the door. "Here we go..."

They stepped inside and Regina let out a sigh. She definitely was not ready to see Snow White since she still hadn't forgiven her. _Yeah. Here we go..._ She thought as Emma shut the door behind them.

Home sweet home...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading.**


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